FY-3A Mission

Objectives and Applications

Meteorology and environmental monitoring; data collection and redistribution.

Mission Summary

Full Name
FY-3A Polar-orbiting Meteorological Satellite
Mission Status
Mission complete
Mission Agencies
Launch Date
27 May 2008
Mission Links
EOL Date
01 Mar 2018
EO Portal Info

Orbit Details

Orbit Type
Sun-synchronous
Orbit Period
101 minutes
Orbit Sense
Descending
Orbit Inclination
98.753 deg
Orbit Altitude
830 km
Orbit Longitude
Orbit LST
10:10
Repeat Cycle
NORAD Catalog #
International Designator

Mission Instruments

ERM-1 - Earth Radiation Measurement-1
IRAS - InfraRed Atmospheric Sounder
MERSI-1 - Medium Resolution Spectral Imager-1
MWHS-1 - Micro-Wave Humidity Sounder
MWRI-1 - Micro-Wave Radiation Imager-1
MWTS-1 - Micro-Wave Temperature Sounder
SBUS - Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Sounder
SEM (FY-2) - Space Environment Monitor
SIM - Solar Irradiation Monitor
SIM-1 - Solar Irradiance Monitor-1
TOU - Total Ozone Unit
VIRR - Multispectral Visible and Infra-red Scan Radiometer (10 channels)

Mission Measurements

CategoryParameterInstrument(s)
AtmosphereAerosols MERSI-1
Atmospheric Humidity Fields IRAS, MERSI-1, MWHS-1
Atmospheric Winds MWRI-1
Cloud type, amount and cloud top temperature MERSI-1, VIRR
Cloud particle properties and profile MERSI-1, MWRI-1, VIRR
Liquid water and precipitation rate MWRI-1
Ozone SBUS, TOU
Radiation budget ERM-1, SIM
Atmospheric Temperature Fields IRAS, MWRI-1, MWTS-1
Gravity and Magnetic FieldsGravity, Magnetic and Geodynamic measurements SEM (FY-2)
LandAlbedo and reflectance MERSI-1, VIRR
Vegetation MERSI-1, VIRR
Surface temperature (land) MWTS-1
OceanSurface temperature (ocean) MERSI-1, MWRI-1, VIRR
Snow & IceSnow cover, edge and depth MWRI-1
Sea ice cover, edge and thickness MWRI-1, VIRR