CBERS-3 (ZY-1 03)

Spacecraft nº:

Chinese spacecraft nº: 219

Launch data: Designation  13F04 (F03?) Launch date  09 Dec 2013 - 03:26 UT Launch site  Taiyuan, LC-9 Launch vehicle  CZ-4B Mission  Remote sensing, Imaging Decay  09 Dec 2013

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• Due to the success of CBERS-1 and 2, the two governments decided, in November 2002, to give continuity to the CBERS program by signing a new agreement for the development and launch of two more satellites, CBERS-3 and 4. They are operated jointly by the Center for Earth Operation and Digital Earth (CEODE) and the Brazilian INPE (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, National Institute of Space Research).
• Brazilian participation in this program will be enlarged up to 50%, thus taking Brazil to a condition of equality with its partner. CBERS-3 launch was originally slated for 2008, but has been delayed to 2012
• CBERS-3 and 4 satellites represent an evolution of CBERS-1 and -2. Four cameras will be present in the payload module, with improved geometrical and radiometric performance.
  They are:
  • PanMux Camera-PANMUX,
  • Multi-spectral Camera-MUXCAM,
  • Scanning Medium Resolution Scanner-IRSCAM and
  • Wide Field Imaging Camera-WFICAM.
• CBERS 3 is the third China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite for the collection of global imagery for environmental, urban planning and agricultural applications

Mission details:

• Launch delayed from December 2012, January, February and Oct 2013.
• A new China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite was launched on Dec 9, 2013.
• Brazilian sources initially reported the launch was a success, but the CZ-4B rocket failed to reach orbit, stage 3 cutoff was 11 seconds too early and the stage came in an approximate orbit of around -150 x 720 km x 98.5 deg, with impact in the Antarctic around 0407 UTC.

External links:

• Spaceflight 101: CBERS 3 Information
• EOportal.org Satellite description