Equipped with onboard data processing for faster results, China's first water conservancy satellite transmits maiden image

China's first remote sensing satellite for water conservancy, "Shuili-1," successfully transmitted its first satellite image on Monday, China Media Group reports. The image was posted on the official WeChat account of the Ministry of Water Resources.

The image captured the Yellow River in the Urad Front Banner region of Inner Mongolia, showcasing topographical features such as frozen river sections, embankments and a drainage system.

The satellite was launched along with three other synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on December 17. These four SAR satellites will join the previously launched four to form a constellation, providing all-time high-resolution radar imagery data for various water-related activities. It is expected to be officially operational before the flood season next year.

Shuili-1 is designed to provide monitoring data for severe weather events such as flood and waterlogging disasters, as well as for the safety monitoring of rivers, lakes, reservoirs and water conservancy projects across the country, according to Chen Deqing, director of the Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center at the Ministry of Water Resources Information Center.

"Most importantly, the satellite's monitoring capabilities can penetrate through clouds and rain, making it effective even in harsh weather conditions like storms and rain," Chen said.

Additionally, these satellites are equipped with intelligent processing functions, allowing them to process data onboard and transmit the results, improving transmission efficiency.

He added that the constellation is designed to integrate data from multiple sources and, after processing, form a series of specialized products to serve the water conservancy industry.