Mission type Earth observation COSPAR ID 2012-001A Mission duration 4-5 years Inclination 97.42° Launch mass 2,630 kg Launch date 9 January 2012 | Operator MLR SATCAT no. 38046 Inclination 97.42° Period 1.6 hours Launch mass 2,630 kg | |
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Manufacturer CAST (spacecraft)
CIOMP (payload) Similar Shijian‑10, Tianlian I, Progress M‑14M, Skynet 5D, Colorado Student Space W | ||
Ziyuan 3 or ZY-3 (Chinese: 资源三号 meaning Resources 3) is a Chinese Earth observation satellite launched in January 2012. It is a high-resolution imaging satellite operated by the Ministry of Land and Resources of the People's Republic of China.
The Ziyuan 3 satellite was constructed by the China's Academy of Space Technology, and carries three cameras produced by the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Machinery and Physics. A camera aligned normal to the Earth's surface will produce images with a spatial resolution of 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in), whilst the other two, offset at 22 degrees forward and aft, have spatial resolutions of 4.0 metres (13.1 ft). In addition to the three cameras, Ziyuan-3 carries an infrared multispectral spectrometer, with a spectral resolution of 6.0 metres (19.7 ft). The satellite is used to provide imagery to monitor resources, land use and ecology, and for use in urban planning and disaster management. It had a mass at launch of 2,630 kilograms (5,800 lb).
Ziyuan 3 was launched by a Long March 4B carrier rocket, flying from Launch Complex 9 at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre. The launch occurred at 03:17 UTC on 9 January 2012, and was the first orbital launch of the year. VesselSat-2 was launched as a secondary payload on the same rocket.