The Development of China's Meteorological Satellite and Satellite Meteorology

Abstract

China began its meteorological satellite and satellite meteorological causes in the end of 1960s. After a development of more than two decades, China has successfully launched two experimental polar orbiting meteorological satellites, and has an extensive utilization of meteorological satellite data on many aspects in the country. Today, the meteorological satellite data has already become an indispensable tool in the country’s national economy. Following the way indicated by the late Premier Zhou Enlai, “We should try our best to develop our own meteorological satellites, and also to use the data from foreign satellites”, China started its way on satellite meteorology and meteorological satellite by receiving and utilizing foreign satellite data on one hand, and develop China’s own meteorological satellite program on the other. At the end of 1960s, China developed its first meteorological satellite cloud image receiver and began to obtain meteorological satellite images from ESSA satellite. With the update of receiving equipments and the development of receiving technique, more and more satellite data were received and utilized for weather analysis and forecast, which improved the ability of China’s meteorological services (Wang et al., 1984). On the other hand, China began its meteorological satellite program in the year of 1969. After years of investigation and analysis, a design report for its first meteorological satellite was submitted in the end of 1970s. Soon after that, a meteorological satellite data receiving system and a satellite data processing center were set up, two experimental polar orbiting meteorological satellites were launched then. All these, have brought the meteorological cause of China into a new era (Zou, 1991).