On December 10, China successfully launched the Power Engineering Satellite, its first remote sensing satellite designed for energy engineering, which has now entered its designated orbit.
Jointly developed by the State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Co. LTD. and other technology enterprises, this satellite is China’s first optical remote sensing satellite tailored to the full-chain needs of power grid construction and operation.
The launch addresses the growing demand for high-quality remote sensing data in power grid development. As the construction of ultra-high-voltage (UHV) projects accelerates, transmission lines are reaching high-altitude, extremely cold, and seismically active regions, placing higher requirements on construction management, daily maintenance, emergency response, and disaster prevention. The satellite boasts advanced capabilities, including fast monitoring of long-distance transmission corridors, high-precision three-dimensional mapping, ultra-clear imaging, and onboard data processing, marking a series of technological advancements.
With a spatial resolution better than 0.5 meters, the satellite can identify small ground objects from an altitude of over 500 kilometers, enabling precise observation of transmission lines, towers, and other grid infrastructure.
It also supports continuous observation along east-to-west transmission corridors, monitoring more than 200 kilometers of transmission routes in a single pass, significantly improving efficiency for large-scale power transmission projects linking western and eastern regions.
In addition, the satellite can quickly generate high-accuracy 3D models, providing reliable data to support grid planning, construction operations, and environmental protection work.
Now in orbit, the satellite, along with existing ground receiving stations and data processing centers forms a complete operational system, creating an integrated power remote sensing monitoring network. The system will be used in 19 business scenarios, including UHV project construction management.
It’s estimated that compared with existing satellite resources, the new system is expected to improve the accuracy of satellite surveys and transmission line inspections by more than five times, enhance inspection and emergency response efficiency along long-distance transmission routes by nearly seven times, and generate comprehensive economic benefits exceeding one billion yuan in grid construction, routine inspections, and emergency response both in China and abroad.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
