The National Satellite Meteorological Center (NSMC), a scientific research and operational facility affiliated to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), received the first full disk visual image at 1:31 p.m. Beijing Time (05:31 UTC).

The image covers areas from the east coast of Africa, Indian Ocean, to the western part of Pacific Ocean, and the entire Asia continent and Australasia.

Two distinctive weather systems visible on the "first light" image are Typhoon No. 3 (known as Typhoon Kirogi elsewhere) and Tropical Storm No. 4 (Tropical Storm Kai-Tak).

Wen Kegang, CMA Administrator, said: "The cloud image is clear and the quality is good. This shows that the multichannel scanning radiometer is working nominally, and the command and telemetry reception station is functioning well."

The Visible and Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer (VISSR), which operates in three channels in visible, infrared and water vapour wavebands, can obtain three separate full disk images of the Earth every 25 minutes.

Imagery and data from FY-2B will allow meteorologists to monitor equatorial weather systems, and the short-lived convective weather formation which can bring inclement weather and potentially disasterous aftermath.

FY-2B will undergo three months of on-orbit checkout and another three months of trial operation. NSMC sets the target date of January 1, 2001 for the satellite to go into full operation.

Meanwhile Yan Hong, CMA Associate Administrator, told media that the State Council approved the plan to spend more than several thousand million dollars renminbi ($1 billion rmb = $120 million U.S.) to build and launch ten metsats in the next decade.

The funding will accelerate modernization of China's meteorological system, which includes building the next generation Fengyun-3 (FY-3) metsats and developing their applications. Another objective is to increase accuracy in forecasting medium- and long-range weather, flood, drought, typhoon, snowstorm and sandstorm.

The improved quality of weather forecast will benefit economic development, national defence and livelihood of citizens, as well as mitigate disasters.

"Weather satellites increase accuracy of forecast for threatening weather. This reduces economic loss by several thousand million yuan renminbi every year," said Dong Chaohua, Manager of NSMC.

CMA Administrator Wen added, "Since satellite cloud imagery becomes available, we haven't missed tracking a typhoon."

DRAGON SPACE
China Prepares Second Manned Capsule Test Flight
Beijing - July 4, 2000 - China is busy preparing the second flight of its manned space capsule, the Hong Kong newspapers Wen Wei Po and Mingpao report today (July 4). According to Wen Wei Po the second manned capsule would be lighter than the first capsule.