Science
FENGYUN 3E
Polar Weather (Dawn-Dusk) · CMA / CNSA
Right now
LiveIt moves every second. See exactly where it is — worked out from its orbit, on your own device — on the live 3D globe.
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FY-3E made history as the world's first operational polar weather satellite in a dawn-dusk orbit — crossing poles during sunrise and sunset when atmospheric changes are most rapid. ECMWF in Europe calls its unique sounding data 'transformational' for their forecast models. China pioneered an orbital slot no other nation had dared attempt.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 515–517 mi (828–831 km)
- Inclination
- 98.8°
- One orbit
- 101.4 minutes14.2 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 49008
- Int’l designator
- 2021-062A
- Launched
- 2021
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 23 Sep 2026.
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