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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