Science

JILIN-01 KUANFU 02B 1

Earth observation · Chang Guang Satellite Technology

Jilin-1 Kuanfu-02B 1 is one of six near-identical wide-swath Earth observation satellites China launched together on September 20, 2024 aboard a Long March 2D from Taiyuan, part of the sprawling Jilin-1 commercial remote-sensing constellation operated by Chang Guang Satellite Technology, based in Changchun. The 'Kuanfu' designation translates roughly to 'wide field of view,' and the 02B series is built to trade some resolution for a much larger imaging swath per pass — useful for applications like agricultural monitoring, disaster assessment, and change detection across large areas where seeing more ground per orbit matters more than resolving individual objects. This particular satellite, the first in the group, also carries the alternate name Qilian-1. Jilin-1 has grown into one of the largest commercial Earth-imaging constellations in the world, with Chang Guang Satellite Technology pursuing an aggressive launch cadence to build out global daily-revisit coverage that rivals Western commercial imaging operators like Planet Labs.