EO·Atlas
ZY-3 03
ZY-3 03 (ZiYuan-3 03) is the third satellite in China's ZiYuan-3 civil stereoscopic mapping series, operated by CNSA and manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). It launched on 25 July 2020 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center into a sun-synchronous orbit at approximately 505 km altitude.[1][2]
The satellite carries a stereoscopic camera system and a laser altimeter operating at 1064 nm. A peer-reviewed calibration study describes the ZY-3 03 laser altimeter as a second-generation instrument compared to the ZY-3 02 altimeter, noting improved pointing accuracy;[3] Gunter's Space Page describes the same instrument without distinguishing a generation change.[1] In both descriptions the instrument type and wavelength are consistent with the ZiYuan-3 series altimetry payload.
The mission supports national topographic mapping, digital elevation model production, and land cover monitoring applications. Operational data management for the ZY-3 series is conducted by the Satellite Surveying and Mapping Application Center (SASMAC) under the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).
Supply chain position
- [1]ZY-3 series, Gunter's Space Pagecommunity2026-06-04
- [2]WMO OSCAR - ZY-3-03community2026-06-04
- [3]Preliminary Pointing Bias Calibration of ZY3-03 Laser Altimeter, Journal of Geodesy and Geoinformation Science 2021peer reviewed2026-06-04
- [4]Long March 4B lofts Ziyuan-3 satellite, NASASpaceFlight 2020community2026-06-04
How to cite this page
Plain text
ZY-3 03. EO-Atlas, SpectraWorks B.V. https://eo-atlas.org/missions/zy-3-03 (CC BY 4.0)
BibTeX
@misc{eoatlas:missions:zy-3-03,
title = {ZY-3 03},
author = {{EO-Atlas}},
publisher = {SpectraWorks B.V.},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
url = {https://eo-atlas.org/missions/zy-3-03}
}