Latest China satellite Ludi Tance to survey one-third of Earth in high-orbit breakthrough

World’s first synthetic aperture radar satellite to operate outside low-Earth orbit will watch for earthquakes, disasters

The Ludi Tance 4-01’s ‘all-day, all-weather’ observations will cover China and surrounding Asia-Pacific region

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China’s Ludi Tance 4-01 satellite lifts off from the Xichang launch centre on board a Long March 3B rocket. Photo: CASC

Published: 7:59pm, 16 Aug 2023Updated: 8:22pm, 16 Aug 2023

China will have a permanent view of nearly one-third of the Earth’s surface, with the launch of the world’s first geosynchronous orbit synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite.

The civilian-use Ludi Tance 4-01 left the Xichang launch centre on board a Long March 3B rocket at 1.26am Beijing time on Sunday, according to its developer, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

The satellite is expected to climb to an exceptionally high orbit of about 36,000km (22,370 miles) where it will continuously monitor the Asia-Pacific region at a resolution of about 20 metres (65 feet).

CASC said the Ludi Tance – which translates as Land Exploration – satellite would provide “all-day, all-weather observation of China and surrounding areas” to monitor earthquake activity and boost disaster prevention and relief.

The satellite would also be used to answer the application needs of sectors such as oceanography, meteorology, agriculture, and forestry, the developer said.

Unlike optical remote sensing satellites which work in the visible and near-infrared wavebands, SAR satellites use microwave signals to create images by sending energy pulses towards Earth and measuring how long they take to return.

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