China has successfully launched a new generation weather satellite Fengyun-4.
The satellite is the first of China’s second-generation weather satellites in geostationary orbit to have been launched, is also the country’s first quantitative remote-sensing satellite in highest orbit.
The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
It was taken into orbit by a Long March-3B carrier rocket. The launch marked the 242nd mission of China’s Long March series of rockets.
The satellite will make high time, spatial and spectral resolution observations of the atmosphere, clouds and space environment of China and surrounding regions, significantly improving capabilities of weather and climate forecasts.
The China Meteorological Administration is the primary user of the satellite.
