DQ-2 / Daqi-2

DQ-2 / Daqi-2 is a Chinese atmospheric observation satellite operated by CNSA and built by SAST (Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology). It launched on 17 April 2026 into a 705 km sun-synchronous orbit.^[1][2] The satellite carries ACDL, a high-spectral-resolution lidar instrument that profiles aerosol and cloud distributions vertically, alongside a multi-instrument payload for comprehensive atmospheric characterisation.^[3]

The Daqi-2 payload includes the Directional Polarisation Camera-2, the Particulate Observing Scanning Polarimeter, the Environment Monitoring Instrument-2, the Wide Spectral Imager, and the Greenhouse-gases Absorption Spectrometer-2 (GAS-2), the last of which was added on Daqi-2 to measure CO2, methane, carbon monoxide, and nitrous oxide concentrations.^[3] Daqi-2 extends the atmospheric monitoring capability established by its predecessor DQ-1, adding greenhouse gas column measurement alongside the aerosol and air quality observations common to both missions.^[3]