A LM-2C Launches CFOSAT into Orbit

At 08:43 October 29, the first satellite jointly developed by China and France, China-France Oceanography Satellite (CFOSAT), was launched on a LM-2C carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The satellite deployed its solar array after being put into its sun-synchronous orbit and is operating in good condition.

CFOSAT was developed by the DFH Satellite Co., Ltd based on the matured CAST2000 satellite platform with a design lifetime of 3 years. It carries two instruments for ocean observation:a global new microwave scatterometer plus; a radar spectrometer. This enables the satellite to provide both global wind and wave observation simultaneously.

Speaking of China-France space cooperation, chief commander and designer of the CFOSAT satellite WANG Lili said it was the first system-level and full process cooperation with an advanced space country in the history of Chinese space industry. China provided the satellite platform and the two countries were responsible for the development of each of the two payloads. China developed the wind scatterometer (SCAT) and France was in charge of the radar spectrometer for ocean waves investigation and monitoring (SWIM). Both countries have established ground stations for receiving data which will be shared by scientists from the two countries, expanding the cooperation in the fields of space technology, ocean scient ific research and global climate changes.

The LM-2C launch vehicle under preparation for launchPhoto: ZHOU Xiaosong

CFOSAT will be used mainly for ocean dynamic environment monitoring, conducting ocean surface wind and wave observation with large coverage and high precision as well as land surface survey and obtaining the related data of soil moisture, roughness and polar ice.At the same time, the satellite data can be supplied to scientists and forecasters all over the world to support services for safety of ocean-going ships, global ocean disaster prevention and mitigation and ocean resource investigation.

The LM-2C carrier rocket developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology is a conventional liquid rocket. A two-stage launch vehicle was used for this mission. It was the 6th launch mission of LM-2C this year,which has carried the most satellites for LM-2C. In addition to CFOSAT, another 7 satellites were piggybacked, including an educational satellite developed by the Belarus State University and 6 scientific experimental and technical test satellites from related domestic entities. This was the 289th flight of LM series launch vehicle. (ZHAO Cong/China Space News)