China, which has become "most lighted" nation in Asia, will this year launch the country's first remote-sensing satellite dedicated to observing artificial ground light at night, according to designers.
The Luojia-1A, a 10-kilogram mini satellite, is being developed by scientists at Wuhan University in Hubei province and will carry a highly sensitive night light camera with a 100-meter ground image resolution, Li Deren, chief scientist of the project, told China News Service on Wednesday.
Li, a professor of remote-sensing surveys at the university and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the satellite will be capable of detecting large lighted structures on the ground within its designated observation area, such as bridges over the Yangtze River. He added that images taken by Luojia-1A will be clearer than those by United States-developed satellites.
Night View of US from NASA / CFP Photo
Luojia-1A will be used to help economic planners and analysts with their research and to provide data to policymakers when they determine overseas trade measures, Li said.
Wuhan University is also working with China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp to design the Luojia-1B, a remote-sensing radar satellite, and plans to send it into orbit in 2019, the report said.
(Source: China Daily)
