China Space Station releases 3-D images captured by Gaofen-7

The China National Space Administration has released the first set of 3-Dimensional images on December 10. These photographs have been captured by the recently launched Gaofen-7 Earth observation satellite. The specific satellite is also mainland's first civil-use optical transmission three-dimensional surveying and mapping satellite which reaches the sub-meter definition. The first batch releases 22 images which show the Beijing Capital International Airport, the new Beijing Daxing International Airport, as well as some regions in China. 

Read - China’s Electric Car Sales Slump, Squeezing Automakers

Read - Art Exhibition Held Jointly By China, India

Launched in November

After sending six satellites since April 26, 2013, Gaofen 7 was launched on November 3 and it is the first one for civil-use. Reportedly, this project has reduced Beijing's dependence on the foreign remote sensing satellite data. Nearly 80 per cent of the foreign data has now been replaced with the original one collected by Gaofen. Across China, this data has been used in more than 20 industries. Furthermore, it has also contributed to the promotion of aerospace cooperation in China as well as other countries like Russia, Brazil, Egypt, and India. Along with countries, Gaofen has helped to serve the countries to participate in the Belt Road initiative. CNSA has also made an announcement that it would also try to make the data captured by Gaofen 1 and Gaofen 6 available for the public use. 

Read - China Spent Billions On Soft Power In Asia Yet Can't Stop Sinophobia: Study

The satellite was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi province and is placed in the orbit at an altitude of 506 kilometres. Till now, more than 14,000 images have been collected by the satellite and is designed for a life of nearly eight years. The main use of Gaofen-7 is 1:10,000 scale 3D mapping. According to the chief designer of the satellite, Cao Haiyi, apart from China, there are only a few countries who have attained this level of satellite surveying and mapping. Cao also elaborated that the height measurement accuracy about 1.5 metres and horizontal positioning accuracy of ground objects is within five meters. 

Read - China’s Auto Sales Sink 5.4% In November

Read - PM Modi, President Xi Jinping Encourage People-to-people Contact To Boost India-China Ties

(With agency inputs)