Joint Sino-French satellite to study ocean waves, wind

China has begun to build the first Sino-French satellite and plans to launch it in 2018 to improve oceanographical research, according to Chinese space scientists.

The development of the prototype of China-France Oceanography Satellite, known as CFOSAT, has finished and production of the satellite has started, said Dong Xiaolong, assistant director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' National Space Science Center.

Once put into service, CFOSAT will measure the wind and waves on the ocean's surface, contributing to forecasts for mariners and early warning of disasters, he said.