China operationalise new-generation weather satellite

BEIJING: China today operationalise its new weather satellite, marking an upgrade of its meteorological satellites in geostationary orbit.

The Fengyun-4 satellite, the first of China's second- generation weather satellites in geostationary orbit is also the country's first quantitative remote-sensing satellite in highest orbit.

It has helped improve the country's weather and climate forecasts, and test results during its in-orbit operation have met targets, it said.

Tests on platform, payload and ground application system have been completed during its in-orbit operation, China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defenceaid in a statement.

Its successful operation enables China to become a leader in developing geostationary orbiting weather satellites, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China's Sichuan Province on December 11, 2016. It was taken into orbit by a Long March-3B carrier rocket.