HaiYang-1 (HY-1) Maritime Surveillance Satellite

Last updated: 11 April 2007

The HaiYang-1 (HY-1) is the first Chinese indigenous maritime surveillance satellite to provide real-time observation on Chinese coastal regions. Developed by China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), the first HY-1A experimental satellite was launched into the orbit in May 2005. The second experimental satellite was originally scheduled to be launched in 2005, but this was postponed. On 11 April 2007, a CZ-4B launch vehicle carrying the HY-1B satellite was successfully launched from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre.

The HY-1 satellite was designed to provide real-time observation on the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea. The satellite can observe sea optical characteristics, chlorophyll concentration, surface temperature, suspended silt charge, soluble organic matter and pollution. It can also be used to observe sea ice, shallow sea terrain, ocean current characteristics and atmospheric aerosol on the sea surface.

Based on the CAST’s small satellite bus (CAST968), the box-shaped HY-1 is three-axis-stabilised and Earth-oriented, with the twin solar wings oriented to the sun. The satellite incorporates an integrated on-board operation management system. The HY-1A weights 365kg and has a design life of two years. Its payloads are a 10-band ocean colour scanner with a revisit period of 3 days and a 4-band CCD camera for maritime observations with a revisit period of 7 days. Remote sensing data on the other part of the world can be stored in the onboard data storage device for delayed replay.

The improved HY-1B has a design life of three years and features improved ocean scanner with a revisit period of 1 day, making it three times more efficient than the HY-1A. Both the HY-1A and HY-1B are experimental satellites. The subsequent Hy-1C and HY-1D will be fully operational satellites based on the finalised design. The development programme of the more capable HY-2 satellite has also been approved by the Chinese government.