China, Brazil to Co-Launch 2nd Satellite This Year

Home>>Sci-Edu

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 25, 2002

China, Brazil to Co-Launch 2nd Satellite This Year

The second earth resources satellite, a major cooperative project between China and Brazil, will be launched this year, scientists said Sunday. After that Chinese and Brazilian scientists will cooperate in developing the second generation earth resources satellite.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The second satellite, a major cooperative project between China and Brazil, will be launched this year, scientists said Sunday.

The testing of the second satellite has been completed and the satellite will be launched at "a proper time" this year, said a scientist at the Chinese Research Institute of Space Technology.

The first Earth Resources Satellite, the ZY-1, jointly developed by Chinese and Brazilian scientists, was put into orbit in October 1999. With a designed service life of two years, the high resolution satellite has been working overtime. The image data it sent back have been widely used in over 20 departments of the State Council and more than 40 provinces and cities.

"It will go on operating in normal conditions for a fairly long time if nothing goes wrong," said chief designer Chen Yiyuan, who based the judgment on analysis of remote sensing materials received.

Both ZY-1 and the one to be launched belong to China's first generation earth resources satellite. Chinese and Brazilian scientists will cooperate in developing the second generation earth resources satellite after the launch of the second satellite this year.

Backgrounder: Sci-tech Cooperation between China, Brazil

Remarkable achievements have been made in Sino-Brazilian scientific and technological cooperation. The first joint-produced satellite of earth resources was successfully launched in October 1999 (In Detail). At present, the second satellite is now under preparation (In Deatil).The Agreement on space technological cooperation for the third and fourth joint-produced satellites is reached between the two governments.

Cooperation in the field of Hydropower has also produced gratifying results. In August 1997, in the international bid for the Three Gorges Power Engine Group, the Brazilian Branch of the Siemens Ltd. won the bid for six engines.

Source: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of PRC: China and Brazil

Questions?Comments? Click here

China Sees its Resources Satellite Application Technique at World Advanced Level

China to Launch New Earth Resources Satellite