Dianjian-1, China’s first satellite for energy engineering, was launched from the Dongfeng commercial launch site near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China and put into its preset orbit on May 15.
The satellite was developed by a team led by POWERCHINA Chengdu Engineering Corporation Limited, a subsidiary of Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA).
The pioneering satellite is equipped with X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar. It also employs an advanced planar, phased-array radar system that can scan around the clock and in adverse weather. The satellite can produce images with high precision, which can be widely used throughout the service life of crucial projects.
The satellite can identify extensive potential risks, such as landslides, collapse and subsidence, to help builders avoid them in the construction of crucial infrastructure, such as hydropower stations, water conservancy facilities and roads.
The satellite can monitor the entire surface of irregular structures, such as dams, tunnels and bridges, serving as part of an integrated surveillance system that monitors from space to low altitudes, from ground to underground and even underwater.
The research team has made multiple breakthroughs in satellite design. By integrating mechanical, electric and thermal systems, they have reduced the satellite’s weight to about 300 kilograms. They have also made innovative efforts to ensure the success of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar technology.
In the future, Dianjian-1 and other satellites of the series, including the coming Dianjian-2, will work together to provide spatial information for all links of energy engineering from exploration and design to construction and operation.
(Executive editor: Zuo Shihan)
