# Fengyun-3
*missions*

Fengyun-3 is China's polar-orbiting meteorological satellite series carrying microwave temperature and humidity sounders.

## Specifications
- **operator**: cnsa
- **entity type**: mission
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-11
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: cnsa
- **attributes**: {"summary":"Fengyun-3 is China's polar-orbiting meteorological satellite series carrying microwave temperature and humidity sounders.","operator":"cnsa"}

## Editorial
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).[^eoportal-fy3][^wmo-oscar-fy3-programme] 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.[^wmo-oscar-fy3-programme] 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.[^eoportal-fy3] 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.[^skyrocket-fy3]

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.[^eoportal-fy3] Later platforms added wind scatterometers (WindRAD on FY-3E) and greenhouse gas monitoring instruments.[^eoportal-fy3] FY-3H, launched 27 September 2025, was in in-orbit commissioning as of late 2025 with nine planned payloads.[^cma-fy3h-launch] WMO OSCAR records FY-3A's operational period as 2008 to 2015 and FY-3C's as 2013 to 2024.[^wmo-oscar-fy3-programme]

## Sources
- [eoportal-fy3] | FY-3 FengYun-3 mission, eoPortal | https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/fy-3 | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-11
- [wmo-oscar-fy3-programme] | WMO OSCAR - FY-3 satellite programme record | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/satelliteprogrammes/view/fy_3 | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-11
- [skyrocket-fy3] | Feng Yun 3 series, Gunter's Space Page | https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/fy-3.htm | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-11
- [cma-fy3h-launch] | FENGYUN-3H meteorological satellite successfully launched, CMA | https://www.cma.gov.cn/en/news/NewsEvents/news/202509/t20250927_7361319.html | tier=operator-press | accessed=2026-06-11

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/fy-3
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)