China has taken another step forward in strengthening its weather monitoring capabilities with the successful launch of a new meteorological satellite early Saturday. The satellite, named Fengyun-4 03, was sent into space from the southwestern province of Sichuan aboard a Long March-3B rocket.
According to Xinhua, the launch took place shortly after midnight, and the satellite has since entered its planned orbit without any issues. With this mission, Fengyun-4 03 becomes the latest addition to China’s expanding Fengyun weather satellite system, which now includes around 20 satellites working together to observe Earth’s atmosphere and space environment.
The new satellite was developed to improve short-term weather forecasting. As reported by CGTN, Fengyun-4 03 carries six advanced instruments: four to observe Earth and two to monitor the Sun. These tools let scientists track changes in weather systems and space conditions with greater speed and accuracy.
One of the satellite’s most notable features is its ability to scan the entire disk of Earth every five minutes. This is a major improvement over earlier satellites, which required up to 15 minutes to complete the same task. Faster scanning means meteorologists can detect developing storms and sudden weather changes much earlier.
Fengyun-4 03 can identify small changes in atmospheric temperature, down to one-fiftieth of a degree Celsius, even from thousands of kilometers away. It offers a spatial resolution of about eight kilometers, allowing for clearer and more detailed observations. Within one hour, the satellite can map temperature and humidity levels across all of China.
The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology said the strengthened Fengyun network will play a key role in improving weather forecasts, monitoring extreme weather events, and supporting disaster prevention efforts. The satellite will also contribute to space weather tracking and environmental observation, areas that are becoming increasingly important as climate challenges grow.
With the launch of Fengyun-4 03, China continues to expand its use of space technology to better understand Earth’s atmosphere and protect lives and infrastructure from weather-related risks.
