Author Zhou Yafei

On the morning of September 7th, 1988, the first meteorological satellite independently developed in China was successfully launched from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. Three firsts were created. The first meteorological satellite in China, the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center for the first time and the other firsts were added by me. It was the first time to report the launch situation in the form of live commentary.

Fengyun-1A satellite is the first generation of sun-synchronous orbit meteorological satellite developed by China, and it is an experimental meteorological satellite. On September 7, 1988, at 4: 3: 19 am, Fengyun-1 A star was successfully launched in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. It failed on October 15, 1988 and operated for 39 days. The first successful launch of FY-1 meteorological satellite is of epoch-making significance. The remote sensor mounted on the satellite has good imaging performance, and the experimental data and operating experience obtained provide meaningful data for the development and management of the subsequent satellite.

Later, the TV news was awarded the first prize of national good news and the first prize of the whole army news. Winning the prize was unexpected. It is said to be a big prize, and it was also the highlight moment of my short-term military TV news work when I came back from the east. Soon, the unit where I work will be changed to a civilian. In order to be awarded a title, I left this post because I was very reluctant to leave the army for nearly 2 years. Because of leaving the journalism major, the grand prize won did not become the basis for evaluating the professional title in the future, but some people got the senior professional title of journalism based on this, and it has since flourished.

R&D background

Since 197s, China has been able to receive foreign satellite images. However, it can only receive images without quantitative processing, so it is impossible to mine raw data or calculate various meteorological elements, and its utilization value is not fully developed. In 1978, the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was successfully held, and the development of meteorological satellites in China took advantage of the east wind of reform and opening up. The meteorological department introduced meteorological satellite data processing software. From the late 197s to the early 198s, the team of National Satellite Meteorological Center worked hard and mastered the quantitative processing skills of satellite data on the "mainframe" whose computing speed was less than one percent of that of personal computers today. R&D process On January 29th, 1969, when Premier Zhou Enlai met with representatives from central weather bureau (formerly known as China Meteorological Bureau) and other units, he instructed that measures must be taken to change the backward appearance and build his own meteorological satellite. On February 16, 197, the newly established Shanghai Aerospace Base was reached under the satellite development mission. In 1977, the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense held a demonstration meeting on the overall scheme of meteorological satellites in Shanghai, which officially reported that China's first sun-synchronous orbit meteorological satellite was named Fengyun-1, thus opening a new era of Fengyun meteorological satellite in China. In 1985, thanks to the NOAA satellite data application assistance project of the United Nations Development Programme for developing countries, the operators of the National Satellite Meteorological Center independently developed a complete satellite data processing system, which laid a solid foundation for the research and development of Fengyun-1 ground system. Half a year before the launch of Fengyun-1, the ground data receiving and processing system of Fengyun-1, including 14 software packages and 4, programs, was formally developed, reaching the international advanced level at that time. With the development of software, the hardware is being built at full speed. Since 1974, the National Satellite Meteorological Center has organized the feasibility study of satellite data receiving and processing system. After two years of site selection and eight years of construction, meteorological satellite ground stations in Beijing, Guangzhou and Urumqi have sprung up. On December 26th, 1987, Fengyun-1 meteorological satellite data receiving and processing system passed the national acceptance. On June 25, 1988, Fengyun-1 A star passed the evaluation and was transported to the launch base at Shanghai Institute of Aerospace Technology. This is the first picture provided after the successful launch of Fengyun-1 A star. < P > It was the morning of September 4th, 1988. We rushed to Xijiao Airport in Beijing to take a special plane to Wuzhai Airport. When we arrived at Xijiao Airport, it was already crowded. At that time, there was no air ticket on the special plane. I saw Sun Baowei, then secretary of the headquarters office, holding a stack of paper lists in his hand, so we went forward to ask if our names were there. Comrade Jiang Hai, who was originally in the same trade, said that there were two reporters at the CCTV station the other day, which was understood by Comrade Sun Baowei, who later became a vassal, as a person sent by CCTV. An episode almost failed to board the plane. Walking through the security gate to the apron, there is an Air Force Tu -154, and there is a beautiful small jet plane that has never been seen before. It is said that it is the Challenger special plane, and Liu Huaqing, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited the launch site. This is the launch described by Baidu Encyclopedia. On September 4, 1988, at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, the satellite launch entered the countdown, and the launch tower was refueled. The monitoring websites from Kashgar in the west and Hainan in the south have all been opened. The commander issued an order: "5 hours to prepare!" At this critical moment, on the console of the launch control center, all the telemetry signals of Star A were suddenly lost. Command had to decide to stop the launch. Our plan is to return by special plane after finishing the shooting task that afternoon, and try to catch the news broadcast at 7 o'clock. If we can't catch up, we will go to the evening news at 1 o'clock, which is the worst policy. The shooting mode and broadcasting scheme agreed with Comrade Han Jin Du, the head of the news group of the military department of CCTV, the day before departure. Who knows that there is an emergency, satellite failure, and the launch is indefinite, so we have to wait; Vice Chairman Liu and the leaders of the CSTIND are waiting. Comrades of the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the General Political Department and the Army who were invited to visit the launch when waiting for the plane, and all passers-by could only wait. At the beginning, the buffet in the base guest house restaurant was fairly rich, and later it was changed to a table meal with several dishes and one soup. I remember that on the third day, there were only simple buckwheat noodles and simple meals on the table. Suddenly, so many people came, the supply guarantee of the base in the poor mountainous area in northern Shanxi was limited, and the cars purchased by Taiyuan did not return ... It was unexpected to wait for a long time. People from all walks of life can't wait to leave. The base arranged a visit, and the launching site and assembly workshop ... Kelan County was full of surging crowds, climbing up and down the spectacular launching shaft. Although it was an abandoned project, it was still obvious that we had worked hard in those years. I also saw Lin Zongtang, then Minister of Space, who had neat hair and dress, climbing with everyone. Unexpected situation, unprepared, there are too many people visiting and working in all walks of life, so they can only stay, and the small base guest house is full. On the eve of the launch, a folding bed was set up in our double room. When asked, it was a director of our office. Seeing that one bed was not offered to him, he left with a puzzled face. It is estimated that this one has never been treated like this. Who knows that he came back after we turned off the lights, so he could only sleep on the folding bed, but fortunately he couldn't sleep for a few hours. Anxious waiting, because the rocket has been refueled, the fuel is corrosive, and the rocket can only last for 72 hours; Finally, I waited for good news, the communication link was repaired, and there was a launch window in the early morning of the 7 th. At three o'clock in the morning, according to the route we checked in advance and the best shooting position on the hillside opposite the launch tower, and according to the agreed plan, we arrived at the shooting and reporting site smoothly, and everything was ready, just waiting for a call! I have been thinking about the shooting technique and sound control that have been brewing for a long time in my mind, because the huge roar when the rocket is launched may cause the self-excited sound, so I need to operate the camera with one hand and adjust the recording knob to control the volume with the other. After the rocket takes off, the sound will go away, and then I will free up one hand to operate the camera hanging on my chest to take several photos in a row. The rocket scrambled away and disappeared into the night. The air was filled with the thick smell of smoke, and the comrades accompanied by the base told us to evacuate quickly and told us that the rocket fuel after burning was highly toxic. The prepared Beijing jeep rushed out of the smoke and quickly evacuated. I forgot what kind of work it was. A grass-roots lesbian wanted to take a ride at the base because of something urgent. The situation was urgent and we couldn't stay long. Our car was full and could only be overloaded. In late autumn, it was cold in northern Shanxi, and there was no room for four adults in the back seat of the car. So she had to sit on my lap and return to the base in a bumpy way. She thanked me again and again, and suddenly it was fun to recall. At 4: 3: 19 a.m. on September 7th, 1988, China's first meteorological satellite, Fengyun-1, was launched. The satellite accurately entered the sun-synchronous orbit at a height of 91 kilometers, and the attitude control system completed the initial capture of the earth in only 122.6 seconds. Subsequently, the folding and stretching solar panels used by domestic satellites for the first time were unlocked and stretched according to predetermined procedures to provide energy for the whole satellite. According to the program, the four visible light channels of the scanning radiometer were successfully opened, and the detection information was continuously sent to the global meteorological satellite ground station through the satellite transmission channel. At this point, the first meteorological satellite was successfully launched.

receiving images

on September 7, 1988, 14 minutes after the separation of the "Fengyun-1" A star and arrow, the Guangzhou Meteorological Satellite Ground Station took the lead in receiving hundreds of cloud image signals and transmitting them to the National Satellite Meteorological Center in real time. Because it is early in the morning, it is still not bright, and the lighting conditions are poor, the image of visible light channel is black, which is the earliest information of China Meteorological Satellite. At 6: 9 on September 7, 1988, the first cloud picture sent back by the meteorological satellite appeared on the image terminal of the data processing system. This is a satellite cloud picture over the Soviet Union and Asia. According to the analysis of experts present, the photos are clear in image, clear in texture and rich in layers, which preliminarily shows that China's first sun-synchronous orbit meteorological satellite has good technical performance. Three hours later, at the ninth session of the Second Regional Association of the World Meteorological Organization, Zou Jingmeng, then chairman of the World Meteorological Organization and director of the National Meteorological Administration of China, held up the satellite cloud image and showed the delegates the first picture provided by Fengyun-1 A star. Satellite Failure On the afternoon of October 15th, 1988, the image sent back by the A star of Fengyun-1 was distorted, which proved that the satellite was seriously deflected along the rolling axis, and its attitude was out of control, which led to the failure of the whole satellite, and the satellite failed to meet the requirement of half a year's assessment life. At this time, it was 39 days before the satellite was launched. Chief designer of R&D team: Meng Zhizhong. Chief Engineer: Ren Xinmin. Functional parameters The satellite body is a hexahedron with a height of 1.41.41.2m, and six solar panels are symmetrically installed on the outer side of the star. The total length of the satellite is 8.6m, the star weight is 75kg, the three-axis orientation is stable, the satellite is 9km high, the inclination angle is 99, the period is 12.86min, and the satellite orbits the earth 14 times a day. The satellite carries a multi-spectral visible infrared scanning radiometer, which has five channels, and is used to obtain day and night visible light, infrared cloud pictures, ice and snow cover, vegetation, ocean water color, sea surface temperature and so on. Satellite data transmission methods include very high resolution transmission (HRPT), low resolution image transmission (APT) and delayed image transmission (DPT).

satellite significance

in January 1989, the commission of science, technology and industry for national defense held a technical summary meeting on the first flight test of Fengyun-1 meteorological satellite. Zou Jingmeng, then director of central weather bureau, said: "The first successful launch of Fengyun-1 meteorological satellite is of epoch-making significance, whether from the development of space technology in China or from the development of meteorological science and technology in China. First, it became sun-synchronous orbit for the first time at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center; Secondly, Fengyun-1' s first satellite adopted many advanced key technologies in China for the first time, and was first assessed, such as the extensible large-area folding solar array, the all-digital attitude control system of reaction flywheel, the first use of magnetic tape recorder to record cloud image information, the first use of five-channel scanning radiometer, and the realization of radiation refrigeration technology; Third, the quality of visible light cloud images is very high, which has won good comments at home and abroad. " The successful launch of Fengyun-1 A-Star is a highlight in the meteorological history of China, and it is an important node in the construction of satellite and ground system in China from scratch. Since then, China has bid farewell to the history of relying entirely on foreign meteorological satellite data and has its own satellite system. During the research and development of Fengyun-1 A star, China has built a ground application system with international advanced level, laying a solid foundation for subsequent improvement and innovation; It has formed a powerful R&D team and become the backbone of the Fengyun satellite family in the future. This is also the basis for Fengyun satellite's on-orbit service time to generally exceed the service life of the satellite, and even run for as long as 1 years. Director Zou Jingmeng is the son of Zou Taofen, a well-known democrat, and the younger brother of Zou Jiahua, a former deputy prime minister of the State Council. In early 1999, he drove to Shuangyushu Contemporary Shopping Mall one day and met a group of thieves who tried to rob and were assassinated and killed in the struggle. Sad!

After the launch, when people from all walks of life gathered in the guest house, the sky gradually lit up, and everyone got together to congratulate each other and take photos as a souvenir. In the crowd, I saw my neighbor Uncle Ma Ben, who just came to the base as the political commissar, and took a group photo. When I saw Jack Luo, the organization minister of our political department, he asked me to help him take a group photo with his old classmates. Later, it turned out that it was Zeng Qinghong, then the secretary-general of Shanghai, and Fengyun No.1 was developed by Shanghai Space Agency. The launch was successful, and with great joy, wine would be served for breakfast. According to the report plan, please ask Ding Henggao, director of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, to say a few words after the successful launch. So we contacted Director Ding's Secretary Su, because the Director never gave TV interviews, because I once helped Secretary Su adjust the TV, which was familiar. Secretary Su, who said that she was very blunt, did not refuse in person. After asking for instructions again and again, Director Ding promised to tell the camera a story we prepared. The director was serious, seeing that he had been reciting it. The shooting went smoothly. I could see the director's face twitching from the viewfinder of the camera, and the original leader was also nervous. At the same time, Comrade Jiang Hai told the director whether he could fly back to Beijing after the successful launch, and strive for the news broadcast at 7 pm that day to let the people of the whole country know that the launch was successful that day. Director Ding said that you were looking for Deputy Director Xie Guang, who was in charge here. It turned out that he was mainly accompanying Vice Chairman Liu of the Military Commission. The plan of the special plane is to fly two voyages, one is to fly to Beijing to send governors, working groups and news media who are observing and participating in the test, and the other is to send Mr. Ren Xinmin to Xi 'an to see the data. A group of us sat on the grass on the apron of Wuzhai airport, waiting for takeoff. From one o'clock to four o'clock, I was anxious. Sister Li Yadan, a reporter from Junbao, was lying directly on the grass. She was the daughter of Li Dazhang, the former secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee who worked part-time in France, and her brother Jong Li, the former General Political Department and Culture Department, later became my friend. Brother Li once gave up being an official and asked to be an editor in the People's Liberation Army Literature and Art Publishing House, which was praised by the leaders of the General Political Department. Now both brother and sister are in America. We got together to listen to Pan Hongxing, a reporter from china national radio's Military Ministry, about a thrilling hijacking incident of his former comrades-in-arms, and waited anxiously. Later, Director Pan went with his colleague Liu Changle to create Phoenix Satellite TV. Finally, it is reported that the heavy rain and fog in Qinling Mountain will fly to Beijing first. It's past 5 o'clock when I arrived at Xiyuan Airport. I boarded the prepared car and went straight to CCTV. Fortunately, I prepared the car license and press card in advance and got off the bus and went straight to the two-room office of the Military Department on the third floor. What took you so long? I thought I wouldn't come. The broadcast is about to start? Lao Han asked a series of questions. I replied that I arrived just after I got off the plane. My films were taken in sequence without editing. Ok, hurry to the second floor and have a look! The news department is on the second floor. Lao Han sent a comrade to take me there. I haven't seen this person since, and I don't remember his name.