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Ziyuan 1
China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite (CBERS)
In 1986, the Sate Council approved the plan to develop China's first data-transmission type remote sensing satellite Ziyuan 1. Brazil joined the programme in 1988, when the Brazilian President José Sarney signed an agreement on space technology cooperation with the Chinese government. Under the agreement, the two countries were to build and launch two remote sensing satellites. The China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) was the Chinese partner as well as the main contractor, and the Institute for Space Research (INPE) of Brazil was the Brazilian partner. China shares 70% of the total costs of the programme, while Brazil shares 30%.
The satellites, which were named China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite (CBERS), were designed to provide medium-resolution (20m) images of Earth in both visible spectrums and infrared spectrums for land survey, environment monitoring, and natural disaster evaluation purposes. The first two satellites, CBERS-1 and CBERS-2, were launched in 1999 and 2003 respectively. Under a further Sino-Brazil agreement signed in 2004, a third satellite CBERS-2B with improved performance was launched in 2007.
China and Brazil have also agreed to develop the second-generation CBERS satellites in the second-phase of their space co-operation programme. The satellites, named CBERS-3 and CBERS-4, will carry a panchromatic camera with a spatial resolution of 5m, a multispectral CCD camera with a spatial resolution of 10m, an improved IRMSS camera with a spatial resolution of 40~80m and 120km ground swath, and an advanced wide-field imager (AWFI) with 60m spatial resolution and 720km ground swath. They also feature GPS and star sensor for improved precision. The two satellites are scheduled to be launched in 2012~14, with a designed operational life of 3 years.
The two countries may also launch a further two satellites CBERS-5 and CBERS-6 in 2017~2020.
The CBERS programme was been promoted by both partners as a prime example of space co-operations between developing countries. Brazil has been seeking to develop a rockery and space exploration programme but made little progress so far. China is keen to use its technology and experience gained from its own space programme to open up new markets in Asia, Africa, and South America, where the influence of space superpowers such as the United States, Russia, and Europe is relatively weak. In 2009, China and Brazil agreed to supply CBERS data to African countries via the ground stations in South Africa, Egypt, and Spain. A new ground station will also be built in Hong Kong to service users in Southeast Asia.
Chronology
CBERS-1 (Ziyuan 1 No.01) – Launch date: 1999-10-14. Launch site: Taiyuan. Launch complex: TSLC-LC7. Launch vehicle: CZ-4B. Mass: 1,575kg. Apogee: 778km. Perigee: 778km. Inclination: 98.5°. Co-passenger: SACI 1
The satellite was equipped with a medium-resolution CCD camera, an infrared multispectral scanner (IRMSS) camera, and a wide-field imager (WFI) camera for capturing images in both visible spectrums and infrared spectrums. The CCD camera had a spatial resolution of 20m and 113km ground swath, and operated in five spectral bands. It could swing sideway 32° in either direction in order to capture different target rapidly. A complete coverage cycle of the CCD camera took 26 days.
The IRMSS had a spatial resolution of 78m (short-wavelength infrared) or 156m (thermal imaging) and 120km ground swath, and operated in four spectral bands. The WFI had a spatial resolution of 258m and 890km ground swath, and operated in two spectral bands. The images taken by the IRMSS and WFI could also be correlated with the images of the CCD camera to improve accuracy.
The satellite had a designed life of 2 years and operated in the 778km sun-synchronous orbit, with an inclination of 98.5°. Power was supplied by a single solar panel.
The satellite was formally handed over for operational use on 2 March 2000. However, after 177 days the onboard wield-field imager failed in early May, though other onboard devices continued functioning normally. The satellite remained operational for nearly 5 years.
CBERS-1 / Ziyuan 1-01
CBERS-2 (Ziyuan 1 No.02) – Launch date: 2003-10-21. Launch site: Taiyuan. Launch complex: TSLC-LC7. Launch vehicle: CZ-4B. Mass: 1,575kg. Apogee: 778km. Perigee: 778km. Inclination: 98.5°. Co-passenger: Chuangxin 1
CBERS-2 was incorporated with a number of modifications for improved performance and better reliability. China shared 70% of the total US$150 million development cost, with Brazil shared 30%. The satellite was launched on 21 October 2003 and formally handed over for operational use on 12 February 2004.
CBERS-2B (Ziyuan 1 No.02B) – Launch date: 2007-09-19. Launch site: Taiyuan. Launch complex: TSLC-LC7. Launch vehicle: CZ-4B. Mass: 1,575kg. Apogee: 778km. Perigee: 778km. Inclination: 98.5°.
The CBERS-2B project was agreed between China and Brazil in 2004, as a stopgap before CBERS-3 could enter service. CBERS-2B was similar in size to its two predecessors, but featured some improvements on its mission payload, including a high-resolution panchromatic camera (HRC) that replaced the IRMSS imager. The satellite was also equipped with a GPS receiver for high accuracy in orbit insertion. Integration and testing of CBERS-2B was carried out in INPE’s Integration and Testing Laboratory in São José dos Campos.
Ziyuan 1 No.02C – Launch date: 2011-12-22 11:26:14 CST (03:26:14 GMT). Launch site: Taiyuan. Launch complex: TSLC-LC7. Launch vehicle: CZ-4B. LV serial: CZ-4B-Y15. Apogee: 780km. Perigee: 778km. Inclination: 98.5°.
Ziyuan 1-02C was the third satellite in the CBERS-2 series, but was developed as a Chinese only project with no Brazilian participation. The satellite was China’s first operational civilian remote-sensing satellite, specifically designed for the Chinese Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR). It was also the first of a series of Earth-observation satellites to be launched in the Chinese government’s Planning for the Application and Development of Land and Sea Observation Satellites (2011~2020).
The onboard observation package included two high-resolution cameras (HRC) and an infrared multispectral scanner (IRMSS) camera. The panchromatic cameras had a spectral resolution of 2.36m and a joint ground swath of 54km. The IRMSS had a spectral resolution of 5m/10m and ground swath 60km. The HRCs feature a lower compression rate (4:1) in its downlink transmission than that of the CBERS-2B (8:1), which allowed producing Earth images with better qualities.
Ziyuan 1-02C
Ziyuan1-02C remote-sensing image
Last updated: 3 April 2012