Chongqing - Aerospace Tianmu (Chongqing) Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., located in the Xiyong Micro-Electronic Industrial Park in Western (Chongqing) Science City, has successfully integrated its "Tianmu-1" satellite constellation into the China Meteorological Administration's (CMA) meteorological system. 

This is the first time that data from commercial small satellites has been included in China's operational weather systems, becoming fully integrated into the country's weather prediction model on December 30, 2024.

Currently, the "Tianmu-1" constellation provides approximately 30,000 occultation profiles to the CMA daily, significantly enhancing the temporal and spatial resolution of occultation detection compared to the Fengyun meteorological satellites. This provides vital support for China’s precise weather forecasting and predictions.

On January 5, 2024, the "Tianmu-1" satellites 15 to 18 were launched into space. (Photo/Xiyong Micro-Electronic Industrial Park)

Chen Yuyang, Vice General Manager of Xiyong Micro-Electronic Industrial Park, stated that occultation meteorological sensing technology is approaching full commercialization globally. By making targeted investments, China can quickly develop an effective business model, which is key to improving the accuracy of its weather predictions and ensuring control over its global atmospheric observation data.

In just one year since its founding, Aerospace Tianmu has successfully launched 22 "Tianmu-1" weather satellites across six missions, completing a commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) sun-synchronous constellation. This quick deployment sets a new record in China for building occultation-based meteorological satellite constellations and showcases Chongqing’s advancements in low-cost, large-scale production and rapid deployment of LEO small satellites.

The Tianmu-1 constellation is China’s first occultation constellation compatible with BeiDou, GPS, and other global navigation systems. It is also the world’s first commercial constellation capable of detecting sea reflection and atmospheric and ionospheric occultation in an integrated manner. The system provides high precision and vertical resolution, operates without the need for calibration, and offers all-weather, global observation of oceans, the atmosphere, and the ionosphere.

The Tianmu-1 Occultation Meteorological Sensing Constellation Model. (Photo/Xiyong Micro-Electronic Industrial Park)

The Tianmu-1 meteorological constellation provides about 30,000 atmospheric profiles daily, with spatial resolution of 300 km by 300 km and temporal resolution on a 6-hour scale. These profiles enable high-resolution, global atmospheric, and oceanic remote sensing data for basic meteorological support, including typhoon forecasting.

China's weather forecasting system relies heavily on occultation data. Aerospace Tianmu has developed atmospheric sensing payloads for temperature, humidity, and pressure, as well as satellite data centers and atmospheric profiling products. 

The company has also integrated meteorological forecasting with artificial intelligence (AI), enabling efficient use of AI and meteorological data. By utilizing AI-driven weather models and typhoon path prediction algorithms, Aerospace Tianmu has created global typhoon monitoring and tracking solutions.

Leveraging the Tianmu constellation and its extensive occultation data, the company is exploring various applications, including integration into high-resolution numerical forecasting systems, water and rainfall monitoring, resilient city planning, agricultural remote sensing, and natural disaster early warning systems.

Xiyong Micro-Electronic Industrial Park has also set up production lines for satellite payloads, including onboard computers and propulsion systems. The first batch of onboard computers has been produced, and two new krypton-gas Hall-effect thrusters have been developed for mass production. 

The annual production capacity for onboard computers is expected to reach at least 100 units by 2025. In the next 1-2 years, 1,000 propulsion systems are planned for manufacture.