Long March 4 launches Feng Yun 3D. Courtesy: Xinhua
The Feng Yun 3D (FENG YUN 3-4) meteorological satellite was launched by a Long March 4C (CZ-4C) rocket at 1835 GMT on 14 November 2017. The launch took place from the Taiyuan launch site in China.
Built by Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering for the China State Meteorological Administration, the 2,450kg Feng Yun 3D spacecraft is a VIRR (Visible and Infrared Radiometer), IRAS (Infrared Atmospheric Sounder), MWTS (Microwave Temperature Sounder), MWHS (MicroWave Humidity Sounder), MERSI (Medium Resolution Spectral Imager), SBUS (Solar Backscattering UV Sounder), TOU (Total Ozone Unit), MWRI (Microwave Radiation Imager), ASI (Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer), ERM (Earth Radiation Measurement), SEM (Space Environment Monitor and SIM (Solar Irradiation Monitor).
The second payload aboard the rocket launch was the HEAD-1 (HEAD 1-1) which is a ship tracking and Earth resources satellite built and owned by the China Head Aerospace Company (HEAD). It carries an AIS payload for its first role, and a hyperspectral imaging system and Infrared imaging system for its second role.
