GaoFen 2 (GF 2)

Spacecraft nº:

Chinese spacecraft nº: 226

Launch data: Designation  40118 / 14049A Launch date  19 Aug 2014 - 03:15 UT Launch site  Taiyuan, LC-9 Launch vehicle  CZ-4B Mission  Earth observation High resolution Imaging Sun-synchronous Earth orbit: Perigee / Apogee  621 x 634 km Eccentricity   Inclination  98.01 ° Period  97.26 min

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• GAOFEN 2 is an Earth-observing spacecraft regarded as the most advanced Earth observation satellite. While experts believe Chinese intelligence satellites likely have superior resolution, Gaofen 2 is the most capable Earth observation satellite acknowledged by Chinese authorities. GAOFEN 2 is able to see a one-meter-long (3.3-foot-long) object from space in full color. It will be used for geographic and resources surveillance, environment and climate change monitoring, precision agriculture, disaster relief and city planning.
• GF-2 employs the CS-L3000A bus and is capable of producing images with a ground sampling distance of 80 centimeters in black and white, and 3.2 meters in color.
• Its images have a swath width of 48 kilometers, and the satellite is capable of swiveling on its axis 35 degrees to either side, according to Zhou Zi Kuan, director of international business development at CRESDA, a unit of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. The satellite will operate between 4 and 8 years.

Mission details:

• The satellite was originally schedule to launch in December 2013, but the launch was delayed because of the launch failure of the Long March-4B that was supposed to orbit the Brazilian CBERS-3 on December 9, 2013.
• China's Gaofen-2 high resolution imaging satellite was launched on Aug 19, 2014 into a 608 x 631 km x 98.0 deg, 1020 LTDN sun-synchronous orbit aboard a CZ-4B rocket from Taiyuan. (Gaofen-1 was launched using a CZ-2D from Jiuquan).
• GF-2 and WV-3 are in very similar orbits; GF-2 is currently following about an hour behind, although as the periods are slightly different they will eventually lap each other.
  GF-2 has 0.80m resolution with 48 km swath.

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