China’s Long March-8 rocket completed its maiden flight on Dec 22, transporting five satellites into orbit.

One of the five satellites transported to space, the Yuanguang Satellite, was equipped with the Yunyao GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) occultation weather detection device developed by Tianjin Yunyao Aerospace Technology Company. The company is led by Li Fenghui from Tianjin University.

Tianjin Yunyao Aerospace Technology Company plans to deploy instruments into space on a total of 80 satellites to create a "Meteorological Beidou" global network, which is part of the company’s Yunyao constellation project.

The GNSS occultation weather detection payload is a new type of satellite-based remote sensing equipment. It can detect the refractive index, temperature, humidity and pressure of the 0-60km atmosphere and the 100-800km ionosphere's electron content and density.

The equipment will provide data for studying the Earth's surface-atmosphere and ionosphere and have essential value for forecasting weather, global climate change and earthquake prediction.

Dr. Li Fenghui’s team spent several years developing the Yunyao GNSS occultation detection payload. It was made at a low cost and boasts low power consumption, a small size and lightweight design and high temporal-spatial resolution. It can simultaneously detect the occultation data in multiple regions of the world, and realize continuous detection from the atmosphere to the ionosphere.

“Our payload can be carried into space by different types of satellites and collect massive occultation signals while in orbit,” said Li Fenghui.

Li added that the Yunyao constellation project aims to distribute the payloads on 80 satellites to form a global meteorological observation network, which can provide weather forecast information and short-term and imminent earthquake prediction information with real-time performance better than 20 minutes.

“It will help to build our country’s global ocean meteorological navigation system that will serve our ocean-going vessels,” Li noted.