According to local media, China has completed important technological checks for a very low Earth orbit (VLEO ) experimental satellite, marking the first step toward creating a 300-satellite constellation for high-resolution remote sensing and communications.
Chutian-001, which was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center a year ago, demonstrated key capabilities, including high-resolution bright scanning, high-resolution bright imaging, and place setting monitoring, according to Hubei Daily.
The tests, according to the outlet, showed significant improvement in key areas, such as detailed satellite control in very small orbits, real-time target detection using internally created technologies, and multi-sensor monitoring of the near-Earth environment.
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The geostationary level and specifications, such as mass and size, were never made public by the report. The satellite’s sleek, bullet-shaped body, which is crucial for spacecraft operating below 300 kilometers ( 186 miles ), where air resistance is much higher, was revealed in images from last year’s Zhuhai air show.
VLEO satellites generally orbit the Earth at altitudes between 150 km and 300 km, which has benefits like lower signal latency, stronger transmission, less power consumption, and potential lower launch costs.
However, they had frequently fire on-board thrusters to stop ambient move, which shortens the lifespan of the components and necessitates regular replacement.
The Chutian constellation project was launched in July 2023 by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp ( CASIC ) in collaboration with the Hubei provincial government as part of China’s wider effort to expand its commercial space sector. Three stages will be used to deploy the star.
One experimental satellite was scheduled for release last year to examine procedures in very low circle at the start of the systems and support confirmation phase. A cluster of nine satellites will follow in 2024 to 2025 to demonstrate real-time Earth observation capabilities.
The second phase, which will last from 2026 to 2030, will concentrate on large-scale deployment. It wants to establish a 300-satellite network with response times as short as 15 minutes and a range of imaging types, including visible light, synthetic aperture radar, hyperspectral, and infrared.
The project will go through an integration and expansion phase after 2030, completing the entire business system and lowering the time difference between global responses to under 10 minutes.
The Chutian constellation will support a wide range of applications, from disaster response and watershed management to agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, according to Zhang Chuan, project leader at CASIC. The system was created to support high revisit rates, quick data processing, intelligent analysis, and near-instant downlink capabilities.
The constellation will eventually support mission dispatch within minutes and transmit live updates from affected areas in real time, he told China News Service in April 2024.
Zhang added that the constellation would benefit the general public, who might eventually access satellite-based services like navigation support for autonomous driving, alerts about hazardous road conditions, and crowd density real-time monitoring enabled by intelligent cloud detection and change analysis.
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