China successfully launched meteorological satellite Fengyun-2 08 at 9:02 am on December 31, 2014, from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province.

FY-2 08 satellite is named as FY-2G after entering into the scheduled orbit and then operates in orbit together with FY-2D, FY-2E and FY-2F. The satellite will collect meteorological, maritime and hydrological data and transmit information that will be used for weather forecasting and environment monitoring.

Yang Jun, the director of National Satellite Meteorological Center introduces that FY-2G will be used for double-star observation with FY-2F, and then takes the place the satellite FY-2D and FY-2E.

FY-2G mainly carries two effective payloads including in scanning radiometer and space environment monitor. The scanning radiometer has two infrared long wave channels, one infrared medium wave channel, one visible spectrum channel and one water vapor channel could seize full disk image covering one third of earth surface per half an hour during flood season and per hour in other periods, and could realize high-frequency continuous observation in every 6 minutes for any regions.

Meanwhile, space environment monitor is able to develop monitoring for solar X-ray, high- energy proton, high-energy electron, high-energy heavy particle flow.

It's reported that there are 25 technical conditions have been improved in FY-2G, including in infrared stray light, capacities of blackbody calibration and others.

Today was the 203rd time a Long March rocket has been launch. The previous satellite, Fengyun-2 07, to be sent into space was launched on Jan. 13, 2012, and works well in orbit.

The operation of FY-2G is ensuring the observation of geostationary satellite to develop stably and activate observing orbit resource. (Dec.31)