Fengyun-3

Fengyun-3 (FY-3) is China's second-generation polar-orbiting meteorological satellite programme, operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and managed by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) through its National Satellite Meteorological Center (NSMC).^[1][2] The series comprises eight satellites launched between 2008 and 2025 (FY-3A through FY-3H), spanning experimental and operational generations and expanding the instrument suite across successive platforms.

Most FY-3 satellites occupy sun-synchronous low Earth orbits at approximately 836 km altitude and 98.75 degrees inclination.^[2] FY-3E, launched in 2021, introduced the first early-morning orbit slot in the series (06:00 descending equator crossing), complementing the 10:30 and 14:00 slots carried by earlier and later platforms.^[1] FY-3G, launched in April 2023, is a dedicated precipitation mission in a non-sun-synchronous inclined orbit at 407 km and 50 degrees inclination, carrying a Precipitation Measurement Radar.^[3]

Core instruments across operational satellites include the Microwave Temperature Sounder (MWTS), Microwave Humidity Sounder (MWHS), MERSI medium-resolution spectral imager, Microwave Radiation Imager (MWRI), GNOS GNSS occultation sounder, and HIRAS hyperspectral infrared atmospheric sounder.^[1] Later platforms added wind scatterometers (WindRAD on FY-3E) and greenhouse gas monitoring instruments.^[1] FY-3H, launched 27 September 2025, was in in-orbit commissioning as of late 2025 with nine planned payloads.^[4] WMO OSCAR records FY-3A's operational period as 2008 to 2015 and FY-3C's as 2013 to 2024.^[2]