# Gaofen-2
*missions*

## Specifications
- **operator**: cnsa
- **actual launch**: 2014-08-19
- **current status**: extended
- **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
- **launch vehicle**: casc-long-march-4b
- **entity type**: mission
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-14
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: cnsa
- **attributes**: {"operator":"cnsa","actual_launch":"2014-08-19","current_status":"extended","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","launch_vehicle":"casc-long-march-4b"}
- **relevance**: in-scope

## Editorial
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.[^cnsa-gf2-launch][^wmo-gf2]

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.[^wmo-pms-2] GF-2 achieved sub-metre panchromatic resolution upon its 2014 launch.[^unspider-gf2]

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.

## Compositional position
- Gaofen-2 --[mission_payloads]--> pmc-2 (products)
- Gaofen-2 --[related-topic]--> land-cover-change (topics)
- Gaofen-2 --[related-topic]--> crop-type (topics)
- Gaofen-2 --[related-topic]--> urban-change (topics)

## Sources
- [wmo-gf2] | WMO OSCAR satellite record: GF-2 | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/satellites/view/gf_2 | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [wmo-pms-2] | WMO OSCAR instrument record: PMS-2 | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/instruments/view/pms_2 | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [cnsa-gf2-launch] | China launches HD Earth observation satellite | https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/english/n6465652/n6465653/c6479599/content.html | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14 | published=2014-08-21
- [unspider-gf2] | UN-SPIDER GF-2 / Gaofen-2 mission record | https://un-spider.org/node/11773 | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14

---
Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/gaofen-2
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)