Objectives and Applications
Meteorology and environmental monitoring; data collection and redistribution. (Operational follow-on to FY-3B). FY-3C suffered a problem on May 30th 2015 and has recovered gradually over time. At present, 10 of 12 onboard instruments are back in operation.
Full Name
FY-3C Polar-orbiting Meteorological Satellite
Mission Status
Operational (extended)
Mission Agencies
Launch Date
23 Sep 2013
Mission Links
EOL Date
Dec 2025
Orbit Type
Sun-synchronous
Orbit Period
101 minutes
Orbit Sense
Descending
Orbit Inclination
98.753 deg
Orbit Altitude
830 km
Orbit Longitude
Orbit LST
10:00
Repeat Cycle
NORAD Catalog #
International Designator
ERM-1 - Earth Radiation Measurement |
| GNOS - GNSS Radio Occultation Sounder |
| IRAS - InfraRed Atmospheric Sounder |
| MERSI - Medium Resolution Spectral Imager |
| MWHS-2 - Improved MicroWave Humidity Sounder |
| MWRI - Micro-Wave Radiation Imager |
| MWTS-2 - Micro-Wave Temperature Sounder-2 |
| SES - Space Environment Suite, improved SEM |
| SIM-2 - Solar Irradiation Monitor-2 |
| 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 | GNOS, IRAS, MWHS-2, MWRI, MWTS-2 |
| Cloud type, amount and cloud top temperature | IRAS, MWRI, VIRR |
| Cloud particle properties and profile | MWRI |
| Liquid water and precipitation rate | MWRI |
| Ozone | IRAS, MWHS-2, TOU/SBUS |
| Radiation budget | ERM-1, IRAS, SIM-2 |
| Trace gases (excluding ozone) | IRAS |
| Atmospheric Temperature Fields | GNOS, IRAS, MWHS-2, MWRI, MWTS-2 |
| Gravity and Magnetic Fields | Gravity, Magnetic and Geodynamic measurements | SES |
| Land | Albedo and reflectance | VIRR |
| Soil moisture | MWRI |
| Vegetation | MERSI |
| Surface temperature (land) | IRAS, MWRI, 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 |
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