China plans more meteorological satellites in next five year

NANJING -- China plans to develop a new generation of more advanced Fengyun meteorological satellites in the next five years, as part of its efforts to provide better meteorological services to global users, official sources said.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the manufacturer of 17 first- and second-generation Fengyun satellites, will develop seven new meteorological satellites during the country's 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), Yang Baohua, deputy manager of the company, said on Wednesday at the 2020 Fengyun Satellite User Conference in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province.

Yu Xinwen, deputy chief of the China Meteorological Administration, said that the Fengyun satellites have thriving applications in maritime, agriculture, environmental protection, transportation and other industries, generating huge economic and social benefits.

He said China has provided Fengyun satellite data and application products to 115 countries and regions, and 29 countries have registered as users of emergency services.

The planned satellites will help achieve high-precision stable meteorological observation and improve emergency response capabilities in disaster prevention and relief, said Yang Jun, director of the National Satellite Meteorological Center, at the two-day conference, which ends Thursday.