China has successfully launched the world’s first ‘self-driving’ satellites, which also marks a milestone in the country’s commercial space programme, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday.
Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), these satellites have been designed to autonomously maintain or change their flight paths without ground intervention. This is expected to revolutionise surveying and mapping in the space sector.
What makes these satellites unique?
The two satellites, named Siwei Gaojing-2 03 and Gaojing-2 04, were launched aboard a Long March-2C carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on Monday (Nov 25) morning.
The SAST-developed satellites bring advanced capabilities to space exploration. They are equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology and high-precision radar payloads, enabling them to:
- Automatically return to orbit with an unprecedented accuracy of 100 metres
- Perform formation-coordinated fly-arounds at sub-metre precision
These features significantly reduce the need for ground-based operations, enhancing safety and simplifying satellite control.
Capabilities and applications of self-driving satellite
Once operational, the satellites will provide high-resolution, all-day, all-weather radar imagery. This data is critical for various industries, including natural resource management, urban safety monitoring, emergency response and disaster warning, as well as, maritime surveillance.
The satellites’ high-quality images are also expected to assist in updating China’s surveying and mapping databases, monitoring agricultural output, and environmental management.
Synthetic aperture radar
Unlike traditional optical satellites that rely on visible and infrared light, SAR satellites like Gaojing-2 03 and 04 use microwave signals. This allows them to penetrate clouds, fog, and darkness, as well as, capture high-resolution images regardless of weather or time of the day/ night.
These features enable the monitoring of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, tracking deforestation, and carrying out military surveillance.
Part of a broader constellation project
The Gaojing-2 03 and 04 satellites are integral to the Siwei commercial remote sensing constellation project, approved by CASC in April 2022. This network aims to eventually comprise at least 28 satellites, providing high-resolution data to support industries like land management and marine surveillance. The constellation is expected to be fully operational by next year.