China will install a "clairvoyant" --China's first marine satellite, the "Marine No.1" on its vast expanse of territory, which will be launched in the near term.

It was learned from the China Space Technology Research Institute on May 8 that the "Marine No.1" satellite was developed by the China Space Dongfanghong Satellite Co., Ltd. for the State Bureau of Oceanography, it will be mainly used in the exploration of sea water color and temperature and other environmental elements, it will be widely used in such fields as the development and utilization of marine organism resources, the construction and management of estuary and ports and harbors, the marine pollution monitoring and control, the survey and development of coastal zone resources as well as research on global environmental change.

The "Marine No.1" satellite is the second modern applied small satellite developed by the use of China's modern small satellite public platform technology, its improvement made on the basis of the "Practice No.5" small satellite China sent to the sky in May 1999 has increased the orbital transfer capability and the single-axle-driven solar cell wing and has greatly enhanced the satellite control precision.

Experts responsible for the development said that the "Marine No.1" satellite has helped achieve new breakthroughs in China's modern small satellite development technology, the four key technologies, namely, mechanical refrigeration, K image racemization, scatter power-supply system, single driver propelling the two-wing solar cell formation, are used for the first time.

Reports say that the comprehensive indexes of China's marine development currently stand at around 2 percent, not only lower than the 14-17 percent level of marine economically developed countries, but also lower than the average 4 percent world level, particularly China has not yet fired marine satellite at the moment, it can only use foreign satellite image resources, thus restricting its marine development and research. Observers here are of the opinion that the lift-off of the "Marine No.1" will be of extremely importance to the rapid development of China's marine resource exploitation, the construction of "digital sea", the promotion of changing China as soon as possible from a large maritime country into a strong maritime state.

Satellite experts with the China Space Technology Research Institute disclosed that after the release of the "Marine No.1", China will develop and launch a series of marine satellites whose performance will be more advanced and use more extensive.

( May 10, 2002)