Haiyang 2A

Description

Haiyang 2A, a Chinese observation satellite, was launched from Taiyuan on 15 August 2011 at 22:57 UT by a Long March 4B rocket. Haiyang 2 satellites are part of a system consisting of ocean dynamic environment satellites, ocean surveillance satellites, and ocean color remote sensing satellites. They use infrared remote sensing technology to monitor ocean pollution and topography in shallow waters.

Haiyang 2A will be used to monitor ocean wind fields, sea levels and temperatures, waves, currents, tides, and storms in order to provide disaster and weather forecasting information. The satellite will operate on a 963 km sun-synchronous orbit. The mission will have two orbital phases: on the first two years it will have a 14-day cycle and then one year with a geodetic orbit a 168-day cycle with a 5-day approximate subcycle.

Instruments on-board include a microwave imager (microwave brightness temperature), a dual-band radar altimeter (working on Ku-band and C-band) used to measure sea levels and wind speeds and Ku-band radar scatterometer for measuring the sea surface wind field.