- August 31, 2007
- Posted by: EARSC
- Category: EARSC News
EUMETSAT’s bilateral relationship with the China Meterological Administration (CMA) is becoming closer with the planned start of the operational exchange of meteorological data on a trial basis starting in early September.
The plan was discussed during the visit by a senior delegation from the CMA to EUMETSAT on 28 August. The Chinese delegation, led by Dr. Wang Shourong, Deputy Administrator of the CMA, met senior officials from EUMETSAT, including its Director-General, Dr. Lars Prahm.
During the meeting, EUMETSAT and CMA officials discussed the possibility of using GEONETCast for data exchange and dissemination in the Asia-Pacific region. The data will come from EUMETSAT’s Meteosat Second Generation and Metop satellites and from the Chinese Fenyun-2 (FY-2) geostationary satellites and in future the FY-3 polar-orbiting satellites.
Generation and Metop satellites and from the Chinese Fenyun-2 (FY-2) geostationary satellites and in future the FY-3 polar-orbiting satellites.
It is planned that this data exchange will be formalised in a new agreement between EUMETSAT and CMA, which will be discussed with EUMETSAT Member States in the months to come.
CMA is already distributing its data and services to users in the Asia-Pacific region via FENGYUNCast, a digital video broadcasting system very similar to EUMETCast, both of which are part of GEONETCast. CMA is also making extensive use of EUMETSAT satellite data, which it receives at its EUMETCast station in Western China.
Along with EUMETSAT’s four Meteosat satellites, FY-2C and FY-2D are components of the Global Earth Observation (GEO) ring around the world. FY-3, the China’s second generation polar-orbiting meteorological satellite, is planned for launch during the first half of 2008.
The two delegations also discussed cooperation with the EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facilities and on atmospheric chemistry using the new Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) instrument on board EUMETSAT’s Metop-A polar-orbiting satellite. Finally, the two delegations briefed each other on their respective organisations’ current and future programmes.
Source: EUMETSAT
