Dong Fang Hong 45

China

Spacecraft n°:

Chinese spacecraft n°: 54

Also called Feng Yun 2B or Feng Yun 2-1R (some incorrectly name it 2A)

Launch data:

Designation	24834 / 97029A
Launch date	10 Jun 1997
Launch site	Xichang, LC-1
Launch vehicle	CZ-3
Mission	Meteorology
Geostationary orbit	105°E

First Chinese GEO meteorology satellite. The 1R and B denomination stands for the replacement of the original satellite destroyed before even being installed on the Long March and launched, in 1994.

The satellite is equipped with a scanning radiometer, a cloud coverage information system and a data collection and transmission system.

Specifications

Prime contractor	Shanghai Aerospace Technology Research Institute
Platform
Mass at launch	1380 kg
Mass in orbit
Dimension	cylinder: 2.1 m x 1.6 m
Solar array
Stabilization	spin-stabilized (100 rpm)
DC power
Design lifetime	3 years

The satellite is said to be a copy of GMS 5

End of life

Out of service	April 1998
Cause	failure of the S-band antenna mechanism

VISSR (Visible and IR Spin Scan Radiometer)

Wavebands	0.55-1.05 µm (visible) 6.2-7.6 µm (water vapour) 10.5-12.5 µm (IR)
Resolution	visible: 1.25 km IR& WV: 5 km
Image repeat frequency	1 hour

Downlink: 1687.5 MHz linear (PCM/BPSK, 660 kbps)

Ref: #15 - update: 13.03.10