Objectives and Applications
Meteorology and environmental monitoring; data collection and redistribution.
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
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
ERM-1 - Earth Radiation Measurement |
| IRAS - InfraRed Atmospheric Sounder |
| MERSI - Medium Resolution Spectral Imager |
MWHS-1 - Micro-Wave Humidity Sounder |
| MWRI - Micro-Wave Radiation Imager |
| MWTS-1 - Micro-Wave Temperature Sounder |
| SEM - Space Environment Monitor |
| SIM - Solar Irradiation Monitor |
| TOU/SBUS - Total Ozone Unit & Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Sounder |
VIRR - Multispectral Visible and Infra-red Scan Radiometer (10 channels)  |
| Category | Parameter | Instrument(s) |
| Atmosphere | Atmospheric Humidity Fields | IRAS, MWHS-1, MWRI |
| Cloud type, amount and cloud top temperature | IRAS, MWRI, VIRR |
| Cloud particle properties and profile | MWRI |
| Liquid water and precipitation rate | MWRI |
| Ozone | IRAS, TOU/SBUS |
| Radiation budget | ERM-1, IRAS, SIM |
| Trace gases (excluding ozone) | IRAS |
| Atmospheric Temperature Fields | IRAS, MWRI, MWTS-1 |
| Gravity and Magnetic Fields | Gravity, Magnetic and Geodynamic measurements | SEM |
| Land | Albedo and reflectance | VIRR |
| Soil moisture | MWRI |
| Vegetation | MERSI |
| Surface temperature (land) | IRAS, MWRI, MWTS-1, VIRR |
| Multi-purpose imagery (land) | VIRR |
| Ocean | Ocean colour/biology | MERSI |
| Ocean surface winds | MWRI |
| Surface temperature (ocean) | IRAS, MWRI, VIRR |
| Snow & Ice | Snow cover, edge and depth | MWRI |
| Sea ice cover, edge and thickness | MWRI |