China's Space Program News Thread

[balance]

Chinese Recoinassance Capability

Hi,

Just wonder about Chinese spy sattelites! Do they have the capability that the US has for space-based recoinassance? We heard how US intelligence can track the satellite launched by China from their own spy satellite, and so they knew that CHina has attempted several times before finally succeeding to destroy one of its old satellites. It means that US has the real-time spy capability.
Does China have the same? Can they, like US, track the movement of troops or artilleries, as far as the continental US (not just the neighboring countries)?

Your response is highly appreciated. And if you have any reference in SD, please show me where.

Mod's note, balance we have a sattilite thread. No need to open a new one

 

[fishhead]

Re: chinese satelittes

This is the area pretty well guarded. China for sure has the spy satellites, but publicly they never acknowledge it, all sats are for civilian purpose in Chinese news. Each military sat has two names, one for public news release and the other used by military circle.

I haven't seen a single high resolution sat photo by now released by Chinese. I saw a page of internal document scaned by somebody mentioned that the planed field combat support sat has a resolution of 0.3m. At least at two times I read the local Chinese news that officials use the sat to monitor drug dealers growing opium in remote and mountain area, and sent law enforce people to destroy them, one place mentioned it's domestic sat. The public report says Chinese can make SiC lens with the biggest diameter of 0.8m, while commercial google earth level sat has 0.6m lens. People at the Chinese web sites identified that China has optical, IR and radar type military spy sats, they track them down with both civilian and military names.

That's all I know.

 

[fishhead]

Re: chinese satelittes

Like this sat

civilian name: Yaogan 1 (remote sensing 1)
military name: JB 5 (vanguard 5)
type: SAR

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In fact the names and type of sat are identified by Chinese web surfers.

 

[balance]

Re: chinese satelittes

This is the area pretty well guarded. China for sure has the spy satellites, but publicly they never acknowledge it, all sats are for civilian purpose in Chinese news. Each military sat has two names, one for public news release and the other used by military circle.

I haven't seen a single high resolution sat photo by now released by Chinese. I saw a page of internal document scaned by somebody mentioned that the planed field combat support sat has a resolution of 0.3m. At least at two times I read the local Chinese news that officials use the sat to monitor drug dealers growing opium in remote and mountain area, and sent law enforce people to destroy them, one place mentioned it's domestic sat. The public report says Chinese can make SiC lens with the biggest diameter of 0.8m, while commercial google earth level sat has 0.6m lens. People at the Chinese web sites identified that China has optical, IR and radar type military spy sats, they track them down with both civilian and military names.

That's all I know.

Thanks for the informative material. From what you write, it seems that the Chinese is secretly developing a network of surveillance within its borders, and the aggressive launching of satellites suggests to us that it will rapidly be extended to the areas beyond as well. Maybe this is the application of the old Sun-Tzu's dictum of knowing your enemy and yourself to be the key to success. Just my humble opinion.

 

[fishhead]

Re: chinese satelittes

To be fair, Chinese sats are still far behind American's, in capability, types and number. Technical hurdle, fund shortage, lack interest in remote area(like continent America or Europe) make their progress very slow.

But recent years show the sign of acceleration.

 

[goldenpanda]

Re: chinese satelittes

What extra information would you get if you're at 0.1m resolution instead of 0.3m? When do you start to see diminishing returns?

Seems all weather capability should also be important. Also having greater number of them give you more frequent updates. Resolution should not be the only goal or even the biggest goal.

 

[szbd]

Re: chinese satelittes

What extra information would you get if you're at 0.1m resolution instead of 0.3m? When do you start to see diminishing returns?

Seems all weather capability should also be important. Also having greater number of them give you more frequent updates. Resolution should not be the only goal or even the biggest goal.

1. you pay a lot of money for every kg you send into the space, so you always want the best possible performance

2. 0.1m resolution vs 0.3m means 8 times clearer on everything.

3. all weather capability involves radar imaging, that's another area of course China need to improve.

 

[fishhead]

Re: chinese satelittes

China just launched another sat today, code name: Yaogan 2(see above for info of Yaogan 1).

It's a military class sat for sure, also it carries a pico-sat first time, interesting.

 

[Schumacher]

Re: chinese satelittes

China just launched another sat today, code name: Yaogan 2(see above for info of Yaogan 1).

It's a military class sat for sure, also it carries a pico-sat first time, interesting.

Here's some more on this launch. Xinhua says it's for 'scientific research, land resources surveying, crop yield estimate and disaster forecast.'
Sounds harmless enough.

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China launch Yaogan-II satellite - 100th success
By Rui C. Barbosa, 5/25/2007 4:13:58 AM
Following a number of rumors about a possible military launch from Jiuquan, China has launched a new remote sensing satellite, the Yaogan-II. The launch marked the 100th successful orbital launch for China.

The launch took place at 08:12 UTC on Friday, using a CZ-2D Chang Zheng-2D (CZ2D-8). The first Yaogan satellite was launched from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on 27th April 2006.

Having also the designation Jian Bing-5, this satellite series - designed and built by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) - are the first Chinese 'synthetic aperture radar' satellites.

According to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, Yaogan-II will be used 'for scientific research, land resources surveying, crop yield estimate and disaster forecast.'

Going along the ride with Yaogan-II there was a pico-satellite weighing 1 kg that was developed by the Zheijiang University. This small satellite is going to make micro-electronics research in orbit.

This was 99th flight for the Chang Zheng (Long March) series of rockets.

The launch of Yaogan-II comes a day after Chinese Space Agency chief Sun Laiyanon signed the International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters,' enrolling China in the international global disaster relief regime.

This charter was initiated by ESA and CNES after the July 1999 UNISPACE III conference in Vienna, Austria, and also groups agencies from Great Britain, Canada, India, Japan and the United States.

The objective is to have a network of satellites providing a unified system of space data acquisition and delivery to the areas affected by natural or man-made disasters. This network is being used since 2000.

This was the 5th Chinese launch in 2007 and comes a few days before the launch of SinoSat-3 that will replace the failed SinoSat-2 launched last October.

 

[szbd]

Re: chinese satelittes

crop yield estimate is a very good excuse for having high resolution image satellite. Because the image will never be accurate enough.