China’s first precipitation measurement satellite, Fengyun-3G (FY-3G), has officially started operations, marking a leap in global weather tracking tech! 🚀 Launched in April 2023, the satellite specializes in studying rainfall patterns and monitoring extreme weather events—think floods, monsoons, or even that surprise afternoon downpour. 🌍
FY-3G isn’t just snapping pics from space—it’s creating 3D maps of rain clouds in mid-to-low latitude regions! This makes China the only country running four civilian weather satellites at once, covering morning, noon, afternoon, and inclined orbits. Talk about around-the-clock climate vigilance. 🕒
Chen Lin, deputy chief designer of the satellite’s ground system, told China Media Group that tracking global rain structures has always been a ‘meteorological puzzle.’ But FY-3G aced its six-month trial, supporting disaster responses for events like Pakistan’s floods and Yemen’s heavy rains. It even backed China’s Universiade and Asian Games! 🏅
Part of the homegrown Fengyun satellite family—21 launched since 1988—FY-3G cements China’s position as a global leader in space-based weather tech. Nine Fengyun satellites are still orbiting, delivering data that’s ‘internationally advanced,’ according to officials. 🌐
