BackForward Satellite: FY-3C 

Satellite details
Acronym FY-3C
Full name Feng-Yun 3C
WIGOS Station Identifier ---
Satellite Description
  • 3rd flight unit of the FY-3 series.
  • Main mission: operational meteorology.
  • Substantial contribution to ocean and ice monitoring, climate monitoring and space weather.
  • Significant contribution to atmospheric chemistry.
Mass at launch 2300 kg Dry mass 2250 kg
Power 2500 W
Data access link http://satellite.nsmc.org.cn/portalsite/Data/DataView.aspx?SatelliteType=0&SatelliteCode=FY3C
Data access information
  • Real-time availability of ERM-1, IRAS, MERSI-1, MWHS-1, MWRI, MWTS-1, SBUS, SEM, SIM-1, TOU and VIRR by MTP (X-band). Note: MTP uses Left Hand Circular Polarisation (LHCP).
  • Real-time availability of a selection of data by AHRPT in L-band, using RHCP.
  • Global data available via CMA portalSelected global data available under bilateral arrangements
Orbit Sunsynchronous orbit Altitude 836 km
ECT 08:20 desc

 

Space agency CMA , NRSCC
Status Operational
Details on Status
(as available)
  • Operational service suspended on 31 May 2015 for anomaly investigation. Recovered from 30 July onwards.
  • From 25 May 2020, the Delayed Picture Transmission (DPT) and High Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT) services of FY-3C outside China are no longer been provided.
  • Many instruments are switched off to conserve power
Launch 23 Sep 2013 EOL ≥2024
Last update: 2024-08-05
Associated satellite programme and related satellites

Note: red tag: no longer operational , green tag: operational , blue tag : future

Satellite Payload

All known Instruments flying on FY-3C

Acronym Full name
ERM-1 Earth Radiation Measurement - 1
GNOS GNSS Radio Occultation Sounder
IRAS Infra Red Atmospheric Sounder
MERSI-1 Medium Resolution Spectral Imager -1
MWHS-2 Micro-Wave Humidity Sounder -2
MWRI-1 Micro-Wave Radiation Imager 1
MWTS-2 Micro-Wave Temperature Sounder - 2
SBUS Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Sounder
TOU Total Ozone Unit
VIRR Visible and Infra-Red Radiometer
SIM-1 Solar Irradiance Monitor - 1
SEM/HEPD Space Environment Monitor - High Energy Particle Detector
SEM/IMS Space Environment Monitor - Ionosphere Measurement Sensor
Show instrument status and calibration
Satellite frequencies for Earth Observation, data transfer and platform communications and control
Earth observation MW frequencies
Service Sensing mode Frequency (GHz) Bandwidth (MHz) Polarisation Comments
MWRI-1 passive 10.65 GHz 180 MHz H&V Window channel
MWRI-1 passive 18.7 GHz 200 MHz H&V Window channel
MWRI-1 passive 23.8 GHz 400 MHz H&V Water vapour channel
MWRI-1 passive 36.5 GHz 400 MHz H&V Window channel
MWRI-1 passive 89 GHz 3000 MHz H&V Window channel
MWTS-2 passive 50.21 GHz - 57.455 GHz 0 MHz QH Oxygen band, 13 channels
MWHS-2 passive 89 GHz 1500 MHz QH Window channel
MWHS-2 passive 112.75 GHz - 124.75 GHz 0 MHz QV Oxygen band, 8 channels
MWHS-2 passive 149.25 GHz - 150.75 GHz 0 MHz QH Weak water vapour channel
MWHS-2 passive 175.31 GHz - 191.31 GHz 0 MHz QV Water vapour band, 5 channels
Frequencies for scientific data acquisition and communication services at ground stations
Service Direction Frequency (MHz) Bandwidth (kHz) Polarisation D/A Data rate (kbps) or Baseband (kHz) Comments
DPT S-E 8175 MHz 300000 kHz LHCP D 225000  kbps Stored data
MPT S-E 7820 MHz 60000 kHz LHCP D 45000  kbps Full-resolution MERSI data
AHRPT S-E 1706.7 MHz 6800 kHz RHCP D 4200  kbps Other instrument data