China to Launch World's First GEO Microwave Atmospheric Sounding Satellite
Summary: China's Meteorological Administration announced on April 28 at a State Council Information Office press conference that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), China will launch the world's first geostationary orbit microwave atmospheric sounding satellite — the Fengyun-4 Microwave Satellite — filling a global gap in all-weather, high-frequency, three-dimensional atmospheric observation. The satellite is scheduled for launch around 2026 aboard a Long March rocket and will operate in geostationary orbit, forming a network with the Fengyun-4 optical series and Fengyun-3 polar orbit satellites.
Credit: via Tencent News / Guo Xin Wang
A World-First in Space-Based Atmospheric Sensing
Currently, no country has achieved a geostationary microwave atmospheric sounding satellite in orbit. Traditional geostationary weather satellites (such as the US GOES-R series and European MTG series) primarily carry optical remote sensing payloads, limiting their ability to penetrate clouds for all-weather detection. The Fengyun-4 Microwave Satellite will be the first to use microwave radiometers for real-time three-dimensional atmospheric detection from geostationary orbit.
Core mission specifications:
- Detection bands: Microwave bands (50-56 GHz oxygen absorption band and 118 GHz water vapor line)
- Capability: All-weather, high-frequency (full disk imaging every 15 minutes), three-dimensional temperature/humidity vertical profiles
- Global first: Solves the problems of low temporal resolution (twice daily) of polar-orbiting satellites and cloud penetration limitations of optical satellites
- Applications: Typhoon track forecasting, heavy rainfall monitoring, space weather forecasting
Development History
After two rounds of key technology development during the 12th and 13th Five-Year Plan periods, the satellite officially entered engineering development in 2022, making China the first in the world to pursue such development. The Fengyun-4 Microwave Satellite will use a three-axis stabilized platform carrying microwave sounders, infrared sounders and other payloads, working alongside existing Fengyun-4A/B/C satellites (optical series) to form an "optical + microwave" dual-series system.
15th Five-Year Plan Meteorological Satellite Development Goals
Beyond the Fengyun-4 Microwave Satellite, China's 15th Five-Year Plan meteorological satellite development includes:
- Fengyun-4D: Continuing to serve Belt and Road Initiative partner nations
- Polar-orbiting satellite optimization: Maintaining stable monitoring across four low Earth orbit planes (dawn, morning, afternoon, inclined)
- Fengyun+ Constellation: Building an integrated Fengyun+ meteorological satellite constellation coordinating civil and commercial satellites
- Ground-based radar: Increasing 1-km altitude weather radar coverage from 54% to 65% by 2030