China is actively developing the second generation of polar orbit Meteorological Satellites, “FY-3" series, in recent years as the increasing requirements in meteorological forecasting, climate forecasting and environment monitoring. Following the U.S. and Russia, China is the third country that can develop and launch two types of Meteorological Satellites and has completely the meteorological observation systems.

“FY-3"will provide the meteorological parameters of temperature, humidity, cloud and radiation on the whole globe for the weather forecasting, especially for the metaphase data weather forecasting, monitor the large scale natural disaster and the ecological environment, research the change of world environment and probe the changing pattern of the world environment, provide the geophysics parameters for climate analysis and prediction, provide the globe or regional weather information for aviation and navigation as well. The first satellite of “FY-3" series is planed to be launched by “LM-4B" rocket in 2006.

The“FY-3"are a new developed generation of polar meteorological satellites of China, which fully succeed to the technology of “FY-1" Meteorological Satellites. The “FY-3" will make China's abilities in the earth observation and the global atmosphere probing improved greatly.

The meteorological satellite family includes the solar synchronous orbit meteorological satellites and the earth stationary orbit meteorological satellites. China's “FY-1"belongs to the former and the “FY-2"is the latter. Up to now, China have launched 4 “FY-1" and 2 “FY-2". Those two types of satellites have different characteristics. The two kinds of satellites can renew each other. They have played important roles in the mid and long term weather forecasting, climate predicting, ecology monitoring and natural disaster monitoring.

Luan Enjie, director of the CNSA, said in the First General Coordination Meeting on“FY-3" that the time from today to 2010 is a critical period of the China's meteorological satellites development and application, and that also a critical period of realizing a strategic objective that is to serialize and commercialize China's polar orbit and stationary orbit meteorological satellites. China will research and develop the second generation polar orbit meteorological satellites “FY-3"and the second stationary orbit meteorological satellites “FY-4" on the basis of continuously completing the “FY-1" polar orbit meteorological satellites and “FY-2"stationary orbit meteorological satellites.

Mr. Luan also said, china's meteorological satellites and their application can make great contribution to the development of the national economy and the society progress. The work of the model of “FY-3" will completely finished this year and the formal research will begin, so this year is a critical year in the development stage. The designers must be strict to the product's qualities, report when find problems or uncertain points, fully use the testing methods in different periods to find and improve the product's quality problems and assure succeeding in first time.

“FY-3"project include two phases. The first is from 2004 to 2008 develop and launch two satellites; the second is from 2008 to 2020 develop and launch five satellites.(Li Qian)