FY-4 Series

Introduction

FY-4 series is China's second generation geostationary meteorological satellites. The satellite platform is three-axis stabilized to improve the time resolution of observations and regional mobility. The new generation satellites are designed with an enhanced imagery scanning capability, capable of monitoring small and medium scale weather systems. They are equipped with vertical atmospheric sounding and microwave detection capabilities to address 3D remote sensing at high altitudes. They are also equipped with solar observations for extreme ultraviolet and X-rays, in a bid to enhance China's space weather watch and warning capability.

FY-4 will be made either carrying optical or microwave instruments. An optical satellite will carry aboard a multiple channel 2D scanning imager, an interferometric vertical detector, a lightning imager, CCD camera and an earth radiation budget instrument. The satellite produces earth disc imageries every 15 minutes.

Status

Satellite Launch End of Service Status Position

Comparison with FY-2

FY-4B (Operational) FY-4A (R&D) FY-2 (Operational)
Platform stabilization Three-axis stabilization Three-axis stabilization Spin stabilization
Working life in orbit 7 years as ensured 7 years as designed, 5 years as ensured 3 years as designed
Observation efficiency >85% >85% appr. 5%
Observation mode Imaging, sounding and rapid imaging Imaging, sounding and lightning Imaging
Main payloads AGRI AGRI VISSR
Band range: 0.45~13.6μm Band range: 0.45~13.8μm Band range: 0.55~12.5μm
Spatial resolution: 0.5~4km Spatial resolution: 0.5~4km Spatial resolution: 1.25~5km
Full disk time: 15 min Full disk time: 15 min Full disk time: 30 min
Coverage: flexible Coverage: flexible Coverage: fixed
GIIRS GIIRS N/A
Band range: LWIR 700~1130cm-1, MWIR 1650~2250cm-1, VIS 0.55~0.90μm Band range: LWIR 680~1130cm-1, MWIR 1650~2250cm-1, VIS 0.55~0.90μm
Spectrum resolution: LWIR/MWIR 0.8cm-1 Spectrum resolution: LWIR 0.8cm-1, MWIR 1.6cm-1
Spatial resolution: IR 12km, VIS 1km Spatial resolution: IR 16km, VIS 2km
Time resolution: 45 minutes Time resolution: 1 hour
GHI N/A N/A
Band range: all color, 0.445~12.5μm
Spatial resolution: 0.25~4km
Temporal resolution: <1 min (2000km×2000km)
N/A LMI N/A
Band: 777.4±0.5nm
Spatial resolution: 7.8km
Coverage: China and surroundings
SEP SEP SEM
Particles, magnetic field Particles, magnetic field Particles

Instruments

Observing instruments onboard FY-4:

  • Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager (AGRI). The instrument has atleast 14 channels with a spectral range set between 0.55μm and 13.8μm.
  • Geostationary Interferometric Infrared Sounder (GIIRS).
  • Lightning Mapping Imager (LMI). Tis instrument is optional.
  • Geostationary High-speed Imager (GHI). Tis instrument is optional.
  • Space Environment Package (SEP).
  • Solar X-EUV imaging telescope (SXEUV).

Compared with similar satellite worldwide:

FY-4B (China) FY-4A (China) GOES-R/S (USA) MTG-I+S (EU) Himawari-8/9 (Japan)
Imaging Spatial resolution 0.5~4km
GHI: 0.25~2km
0.5~4km 0.5~2km 0.5~2km 0.5~2km
Temporal resolution Full disk: 15 min
GHI: 1min
Full disk: 15 min Full disk: 5 min Full disk: 10 min Full disk: 10 min
No. bands 15
GHI: 7
14 16 16 16
Sounding Spectrum range LWIR: 680~1130cm-1
MWIR: 1650~2250cm-1
LWIR: 700~1130cm-1
MWIR: 1650~2250cm-1
N/A LWIR: 700~1210cm-1
MWIR: 1600~2175cm-1
N/A
Spectrum resolution <0.8cm-1 0.625cm-1 0.625cm-1
Spatial resolution 12km 16km 4km
Temporal resolution 45 minutes 1 hour 1 hour
Lightning N/A Central wavelength: 777.4nm
Time resolution: 2ms
Central wavelength: 777.4nm
Time resolution: 2ms
N/A N/A
Space Particles/magnetic field Particles/magnetic field Particles/magnetic field/Solar imaging N/A N/A

Products

Satellite Datasets
FY-4A FY-4A datasets
FY-4B FY-4B datasets
FY-4A

FY-4A satellite

FY-4B

FY-4B satellite