Analysis of Developments in the Space Domain
China hopes to complete the 138 satellite CGST constellation in 2030. Fully operational the constellation would create an all-weather, full-spectrum imagery capability with a global 10 minute revisit capability. If successful CGST will provide the world’s highest spatial resolution and time resolution products.
– 11 Oct 2020: China launched the Gaufen 13 on a Long March 3B. Gaufen 13 is a geostationary imagery satellite and will be located at 117.9° East near the South China Sea. See Launch VIDEO
civilian China High-resolution Earth Observation System (CHEOS).
potentially capable of 15 m resolution. If accurate, this would represent a significant improvement from Gaufen-4’s estimated 50m resolution. China launched the Gaufen-4 in 2015.
CHEOS was initiated in 2010 to provide all-weather, all-day coverage with optical and synthetic aperture radar satellites. The constellation includes a range of optical and synthetic aperture radar satellites in low Earth orbit. Prior to Gaufen-13, the Gaofen-4 was previously the only CHEOS GEOSAT.
electronic intelligence gathering) sensing.
– The three new satellites will possibly occupy the sixth plane of the system, with the satellites spaced by 120° in their orbits.
The Yaogan orbits are best suited for imagery satellites seeking to maximize revisit times. The Yaogan constellation’s low inclination give the satellites good coverage of the Pacific, India, China, North Korea and even Japan, but the most northern and southern parts of the globe are not covered: the satellites spend their time in the band of latitudes relevant to Chinese national security concerns.
