On Monday, China successfully launched the Lijian-1 Y5 commercial carrier rocket from a commercial aerospace innovation pilot zone in northwest China at 12:03 p.m., sending 15 satellites into orbit. Among these is the Xiguang-1 04 satellite, China’s first high-resolution commercial satellite dedicated to methane monitoring.
Developed by Xiopm SPACE, a commercial space enterprise established by the Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Xiguang-1 04 satellite is equipped with advanced instruments including a methane camera, a chlorophyll camera, and a multispectral camera. These technologies enable the satellite to perform multiple functions such as monitoring methane emissions, tracking trends, identifying carbon sources, and assessing carbon neutrality capabilities.
Addressing Global Warming
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a significant impact on global warming. The deployment of the Xiguang-1 04 satellite represents a major step forward in providing high-frequency, high-precision observations of methane leaks from point sources around the world. This data will offer crucial support for building a comprehensive methane emission supervision system.
“The successful launch of the Xiguang-1 04 satellite marks an important breakthrough in high-resolution methane monitoring,” said Qin Jing, chairperson and general manager of Xiopm SPACE. “It demonstrates China’s strength in space technology and emphasizes the country’s determination to tackle global climate change.”
Enhancing Environmental Protection
The satellite will bolster China’s efforts in ecological and environmental protection, industrial emission supervision, and gas leak detection. Additionally, it enhances China’s influence in the global push for carbon neutrality.
Further Developments
The launch also included the Xiguang-1 05 satellite, equipped with a hyperspectral camera and a panchromatic camera. This satellite is designed for applications in agricultural monitoring, mineral exploration, and environmental surveillance.
Looking ahead, Xiopm SPACE is developing a new generation of high-resolution methane monitoring satellites and carbon monitoring satellites to meet both domestic and international market demands. The Xiguang-1 series hyperspectral remote sensing satellite constellation exemplifies these efforts.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
