China Releases HD Satellite Images

　　On June 6, China published the first batch¹ of photos captured by Gaofen-1, China's first high-definition earth observation satellite. Those pictures will provide valuable information of natural condition and disaster prevention. Li Dong has the details.

 

　　Released by the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, the 13 photos feature images of four cities -Beijing and Shanghai, as well as Yinchuan in the northwest of the country and Datong in the north.

 

　　An official with the Ministry² says these images have attained³ top international standards in terms of the width of observation. Gaofen-1 has significantly raised the efficiency of Earth observation, compared to other remote-sensing satellites.

 

　　Gaofen-1 blasted off from northwest China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on April 26, carried by a Long March-2D carrier rocket. The satellite has been taking pictures of the earth two days after it was launched into space. It can take a panorama⁴ picture covering an area of over 800 kilometers in one shot.

 

　　Wang Bingbing, deputy director of the Center for Resources Satellite Data and Application at the China Aerospace⁵ Science and Technology Corporation says that much of the observation data has been sent back and has shown that the satellite is running in good condition.

 

　　"We began to record the data from the ground system at 10:33 on April 28, with the first image being processed 14 minutes later. By 11:57, the standard production process of the first and second-grade products had been completed."

 

　　The satellite is the first low-orbit remote-sensing satellite designed to be in use for longer than five years. It carries two 2m panchromatic/8m multi-spectral high-definition cameras, and four 16m resolution wide-angle cameras. They can gather data of both high resolution and accuracy. Wang Bingbing says the satellite is in smooth operation.

 

　　"According to remote sensing data from over 20 orbits of the Gaofen-1 satellite in five consecutive⁶ days, the satellite operates quite well and its effective load works quite normally. The quality of the image maps is high as well."

 

　　Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, Gaofen-1 is the first of five or six satellites to be launched for the high-definition Earth observation system between 2011 and 2016.

 

　　The satellite will be used for purposes including geometric correction, monitoring changes of land use and mineral resource development, geological disaster surveying and inspection⁷, surveying of water and the quality of air, grass land and arable⁸ land.

 

　　Recently, the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced the successful construction of a network of remote sensing satellite ground stations that covers all of China's territory.

 

　　According to the academy, the network can receive, transmit, store, process and distribute remote sensing data from satellites to obtain information from the entire region.

 

　　It will play an important role in land use, disaster monitoring and research on resources and the environment.

 

　　For CRI, I am Li Dong.

1 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 attained   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
• Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。

4 panorama   

n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置]

参考例句：

• A vast panorama of the valley lay before us.山谷的广阔全景展现在我们面前。
• A flourishing and prosperous panorama spread out before our eyes.一派欣欣向荣的景象展现在我们的眼前。

5 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

6 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

7 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

8 arable   

adj.可耕的，适合种植的

参考例句：

• The terrain changed quickly from arable land to desert.那个地带很快就从耕地变成了沙漠。
• Do you know how much arable land has been desolated?你知道什么每年有多少土地荒漠化吗？