France, China Announce Joint Oceanography Satellite

Published By : 23 Oct 2017 | Published By : QYRESEARCH

France and China have announced a joint venture in the form of a satellite designed to study oceanography patterns, including studying weather patterns to better predict the arrival of cyclones and other oceanic storms. The joint satellite, named CFOSAT, was unveiled in Beijing on Friday and is set to be launched into action next year by China’s space agency, the Chinese National Space Administration.

The satellite’s name stands for China-France oceanography satellite, and represents a novel step in international space sector transactions. France and China have shared a close relationship in terms of space research and technology over the last decade, but the collaboration between France’s CNES and China’s National Space Administration represents the first direct collaboration between the two nations in terms of launching satellites with a shared motive.

The technology on CFOSAT consists of a French-built radar system built to measure the direction and wavelength of ocean waves allied to a Chinese radar system that will focus on wind speeds, strength, and direction. The combination of the two is to be used for practical applications such as predicting the arrival of oceanic storms, as understanding the relationship between the ocean and the atmosphere is crucial to making more accurate predictions of cyclones. Changes in the dynamic between the ocean and the atmosphere could also be used to create better models of climate change and its effect on the hydrosphere.

The project was originally conceived as a collaboration between the European Space Agency and France’s CNES, but China’s growing presence in the space sector led to France taking the unusual step. A rocket from China’s ‘Long March’ program will be used to place the satellite into earth orbit.

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