18 months after their orbit, Chinese scientists have revealed some of the details of the technology behind the First satellite radar Synthetic opening (SAR) located in the world’s geostation orbitan orbital position located 36,000 km high in which the satellite It moves synchronized with the terrestrial rotation. For practical purposes, it remains fixed on the same point on the planet, which allows China continuously monitor a third of the earth’s surface.
The satellite, called Ludi Tance 4-01 (Also known as Ludi to dry), it was launched in August 2023 aboard the rocket Long March 3b And it is the surveillance radar satellite that operates at greater height in the world. From that altitude, Constantly monitors the Asia-Pacific regionexceeding American radar satellites that usually operate in low orbits, according to South China Morning Post.
Ludi’s technological key lies in a system that Combine in space the signals issued by multiple antennas, generating a highly powerful and stable microwave beam. This combination allows radar pulses capable of crossing the cloud layer and darkness and obtaining high -resolution images. According to the team led by the engineer Nor Chongof the Chinese Space Technology Academy (Cast), in an article published in the magazine Chinese Space Science and Technologyreviewed by pairs and managed by said academy, this advance represents a significant leap with respect to previous technologies.
Ludi uses technology from ‘Phase emitters distributed through 20 -meter folding antennas’; that is, a set of small integrated antennas that work synchronized as a single giant antenna, deployed in orbitto emit coordinated signals capable of obtaining detailed images of the Earth by radar.
Beijing states that the satellite has civil applicationssuch as climate monitoring, earthquakes, oceanography, agriculture and forestry, and seeks to improve prevention and response to natural disasters.
However, the US army has been concerned about Chinese technological advances in this area. According to Sergeant Mayor Ronald LerchSpecialist in Intelligence of the Spatial Systems Command of the US Space Forcecited by US Space News, the constant surveillance capacity granted by this satellite may imply A “qualitative leap” in Chinese military capabilitiesespecially in strategic areas such as Indo-Pacific.
Ni also mentions team that USA has tried to develop similar technologies from the Cold warbut the technical challenges they present have prevented their projects from moving beyond paper. ‘Only China has succeeded’Chinese scientists stand out.
Among the confirmed technological innovations is a new stabilization mechanism based on ultra precision gyroscopescombined with positioning signs of the Chinese system Beidou and of GPS United States. This system maintains perfectly aligned the antennas despite orbital disturbances.
Another crucial advance is an algorithm of ‘retroproject’, which Mathematically correct the distortion caused by the orbital curvaturewhich would normally degrade radar images to make them unrecognizable.
China already works in the next generation of geostationary radar satellites, with even more ambitious goals in technical performance.
According to a researcher in Beijing Headquarters, who asked to keep anonymity to SCMP, revealing these key technologies is part of A strategy calculated by China to show its technological leadership in spatial matters and force other countries, particularly the United States, to react to their advances in an area in which China considers to have an advantage.