China Launches First Sub-meter Optical Transmission 3D Cartographic Satellite for Civil Use

The Gaofen-7 observation satellite was put into orbit by a Long March-4B carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in North China's Shanxi province at 11:22 am on Nov 3.

Primarily developed by the Fifth Institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation(CASC), Gaofen-7 is China's first civil-use optical transmission three-dimensional surveying and mapping satellite that reaches the sub-meter level.

It will be used in various fields like land surveying, urban and rural construction and statistical surveying, providing guarantees and support for the planning of city agglomeration, rural construction and the building of a moderately prosperous society.

The Gaofen-7 meets the highest mapping accuracy requirement among the scientific and research satellites of the Gaofen series.

It can realize 1:10,000 scale satellite 3D mapping for civil use in China, meaning that it can locate even roads in the countryside.

Equipped with effective load including double-line stereo cameras and a laser altimeter, the satellite has achieved a breakthrough in sub-meter-level 3D mapping camera technology to obtain high-resolution optical 3D observation data and high-precision laser altimetry data, making it the only satellite in the Gaofen series able to shoot 3D pictures.

The satellite can meet the needs of users in basic mapping, global geographic information assurance, monitoring and evaluation in urban and rural construction, agricultural survey and statistics, which improves China's surveying and mapping satellite level and the self-sufficiency degree of high-resolution 3D mapping image data.

The Sudan scientific experiment satellite-1, an exquisite Gaofen test satellite, and Spacety-15 were also put into space together with Gaofen-7.

Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology under CASC, CASC Aerospace Dongfanghong Development Ltd. and Changsha Spacety, respectively, the three satellites are mainly used for verification of specific remote technology.

The carrier rocket,a three-stage normal temperature liquid launch vehicle also developed by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, is capable of launching various kinds of satellites and individual satellites with different orbit requirements. Several satellites can also be sent aloft at one time by the carrier. 

It was the 316th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.

The launch was testimony for single sublevel fall zone control technology based on a grid fin system, and laid a solid foundation for reusing of carrier rockets. 

The Gaofen-7 observation satellite is put into orbit by a Long March-4B carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in North China's Shanxi province at 11:22 am on Nov 3. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)