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Remote sensing refers to non-contact, long-distance detection technology. Generally, it refers to the detection of the radiation and reflection characteristics of electromagnetic waves of an object using sensors/remote sensors, and the analysis of the properties, characteristics, and state of the object based on these characteristics using scientific theories, methods, and applications. The use of satellites as platforms for remote sensing technology is called satellite remote sensing technology. By using satellite remote sensing technology, it is possible to monitor the global environment, search for natural resources, estimate agricultural yields, observe the weather, observe the universe, and monitor forest fires, and transmit this information to users. Remote sensing satellites refer to artificial satellites that utilize remote sensing technology and equipment to observe the Earth. Simply put, they are satellites that "detect and photograph" the Earth to obtain relevant images and information.
The development history of remote sensing satellites can be traced back to the 1950s. In 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched the world's first artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik. Since then, the technology and application of remote sensing satellites have developed rapidly. The United States made significant contributions to the development of global remote sensing satellite technology, launching the first weather satellite in 1961. American remote sensing satellite technology has always been at the forefront of the world.
On November 26, 1975, China launched its first recoverable remote sensing satellite. Since then, China's development in remote sensing satellites can be described as "later but at a higher rate." Currently, there are hundreds of remote sensing satellites in orbit, capable of all-weather, all-time, full-spectrum, and full-coverage Earth observations.
Remote sensing satellites, from their "vantage point" in space, can cover the entire Earth or any specified area within a defined period, using sensors that can "see" a wide area.
Remote sensing satellites can periodically repeat observations of the same area, which is beneficial for monitoring changes in the target.
Remote sensing satellites can transmit data in real-time or near real-time through ground stations, allowing a rapid response to prominent events.
The extensive observations of remote sensing satellites can collect vast amounts of data on agriculture, forestry, oceans, national land, environmental protection, meteorology, etc. This data has a broad application prospect in land resources, forest resources, geological mineral resources, water resources, crop yield estimation, disaster prevention and reduction, and other fields.
Weather satellites are remote sensing satellites primarily tasked with collecting meteorological data, used for predicting weather conditions and climate changes. National weather forecasts usually start with trend maps of the Earth obtained from satellites. With just a glance, anyone can tell where it's sunny or cloudy. If the satellite images are dynamic, it's easy to see the trends of cloud clusters and storms. Tracking typhoons and other disastrous weather can save countless lives and prevent massive economic losses every year. Examples of weather satellites include the US's GEOS series, Europe's METOP series, and China's Fengyun series satellites.
Land satellites are remote sensing satellites used for detecting Earth resources and the environment. Satellite data are widely used in multiple industries such as natural resources, ecological environment, and emergency management. Examples of land satellites include the US's Landsat series, China's Gaofen series satellites, Land Exploration Satellite-1, and China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellites. Among them, the Land Exploration Satellite-1 group of satellites launched in 2022 created the world's first L-band radar remote sensing dual-satellite constellation used for surface deformation interferometric measurement applications. They can also perform dual-satellite flyby to build the world's first L-band distributed formation multi-polarized interferometric SAR satellite system, achieving high-precision topographic mapping.
Ocean satellites mainly serve frontier research on deep-sea, climate forecasting, and marine environment forecasting. They are crucial tools for exploring the blue ocean and are mainly used in the development and utilization of marine resources, marine pollution monitoring and prevention, coastal zone resource development, and marine scientific research. Examples are the US's Seasat-A satellite and China's ocean series satellites, which are specifically used for monitoring and investigating marine resources.
With these advanced remote sensing satellites, we can better understand the world we live in, and we increasingly rely on the capabilities of satellites to map the entire Earth. Subsequently, as remote sensing technology continues to improve, the spatial and temporal resolution, revisit rate, and accuracy of satellites will steadily enhance. The functions of remote sensing satellites will inevitably become more powerful, and remote sensing satellite data will become increasingly abundant, undoubtedly driving significant growth in the spatial information industry.