EO·Atlas
Gaofen-2
Gaofen-2 (GF-2) is a high-resolution passive optical Earth observation mission operated by CNSA, launched 19 August 2014 into a sun-synchronous orbit at approximately 631 km altitude.[1][2]
The primary payload is the PMS-2 (PMC-2) dual-camera system, comprising a panchromatic imager and a multispectral imager. The panchromatic channel delivers sub-metre ground resolution and the multispectral channels support land cover change detection, vegetation index mapping, crop type assessment, and urban change monitoring. The satellite achieves a combined swath of approximately 45.3 km and a revisit period of around five days.[3] GF-2 achieved sub-metre panchromatic resolution upon its 2014 launch.[4]
WMO OSCAR lists the satellite as operational in a current record. GF-2's planned design life of five to eight years has been exceeded and the satellite has continued in extended service beyond its nominal operational period.
All fields
| current status | extended |
| operator | China National Space Administration |
| launch vehicle | casc-long-march-4b |
| Launched | 2014-08-19 |
| orbit type | Sun-synchronous orbit, about 631 km |
| swath km | 45.3 |
| revisit days | 5 |
| tasking supported | false |
| current geographic priority | High-resolution land observation and disaster monitoring, with China-focused operational users |
| Last updated | 2026-06-14 |
| claim status | agency-sourced |
Compositional position
- [1]WMO OSCAR satellite record: GF-2agency doc-2026-06-14
- [2]WMO OSCAR instrument record: PMS-2agency doc-2026-06-14
- [3]China launches HD Earth observation satelliteagency doc2014-08-212026-06-14
- [4]UN-SPIDER GF-2 / Gaofen-2 mission recordagency doc-2026-06-14