Journal of Global Change Data & Discovery2025.9(2):123-135

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Citation:Zuo, Q. Y., Wen, Y., Li, Y., et al.Spacety’s 20th Space Mission: Parameters and Functions of the Six Satellites by One Rocket[J]. Journal of Global Change Data & Discovery,2025.9(2):123-135 .DOI: 10.3974/geodp.2025.02.01 .

Spacety??s 20th Space Mission: Parameters and Functions of the Six Satellites by One Rocket

Zuo, Q. Y.1*  Wen, Y.1  Li, Y.1  Du, J.2  Wang, L. Z.3  Tu, X. M.4  Wang, S. G.5  Liu, K. J.6  Ren, W. J.1  Yang, F.1*  Xiong, S. J.1  He, Y. X.1  Zheng, W. P.1  Liu, W. F.1  Li, G. S.1

1. Spacety Co., Ltd (Changsha), Changsha 410205, China; 2. Zhangye Constellation Space Technology Co., Ltd., Zhangye 734000, China; 3. China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; 4. Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063, China; 5. Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876, China; 6. Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China

 

Abstract: On May 17, 2025, there were 6 commercial satellites developed by Spacety Co., Ltd successfully launched aboard the Zhuque-2-Y2 improved rocket. They are ??Shenqi-02?? satellite, ??Dizhi-1?? satellite, ??NCHU-1?? satellite, ??SUSTech-1??, ??BUPT-2?? and ??BUPT-3?? satellites. The ??Shenqi-02?? satellite is a lightweight, low-cost, high-performance C-band SAR satellite with operational InSAR capabilities. It can achieve millimeter-level precision in surface deformation monitoring and provide commercial SAR imagery data services across multiple fields. The ??Dizhi-1?? satellite is a hyperspectral remote sensing mini-satellite, mainly applied for geological and environmental exploration; the "NCHU-1" satellite is a multispectral remote sensing miscrosatellite, mainly applied for monitoring of water bodies and terrestrial ecological environment; the ??SUSTech-1?? satellite carries multiple payloads for space science research, while the ??BUPT-2?? and ??BUPT-3?? satellites are equipped with laser communication payloads and other instruments, and are planned to carry out a series of verifications of cutting-edge achievements in aerospace information technology in orbit. The success of the ??six satellites by one rocket?? has set a new record for Spacety Co., Ltd, and also marks the completion of the 20th space mission. With the cumulative number of on-orbit satellites deployed reaching 37, Spacety Co., Ltd has established a complete satellite full-industry ecosystem, promoting the development of commercial aerospace. This milestone marks that Spacety Co., Ltd??s small satellite technology has entered a new stage, laying an important foundation for subsequent industrialized applications.

Keywords: Spacety; six satellites by one rocket; commercial aerospace; SAR remote sensing satellite; optical remote sensing satellite; scientific research satellite; satellite parameters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3974/geodp.2025.02.01

Dataset Availability Statement:

The dataset supporting this paper was published and is accessible through the Digital Journal of Global Change Data Repository at: https://doi.org/10.3974/geodb.2025.05.05.V1.

1 Introduction

The Spacety Co., Ltd (located in Changsha City) (hereinafter referred to as ??Spacety??) was founded in 2015. As a China??s high-tech enterprise and a national-level ??Little Giant??[1] being specialized, refined, unique and innovative, Spacety focuses on the entire commercial satellite industry chain. Its business encompasses commercial satellite development, constellation operations, and data services. The Spacety puts commercial SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) remote sensing satellites[2] as its priority business, and is committed to establishing a cost-effective SAR constellation and imagery data service system. It provides end-to-end solutions covering satellite design, system integration, launch coordination, in-orbit testing and operation control, and data services. After a decade of development, Spacety has become a frontrunner in China??s commercial satellite sector and one of the pioneers globally in lightweight, small commercial SAR remote sensing satellites[1].

To date, the company has successfully completed 20 space missions[3], and launched a cumulative total of 37 satellites (Table 1), including China??s first commercial networked SAR satellites????Hisea-1??[4], ??Chaohu-1??[5], ??Fucheng-1??[6] and ??Shenqi-01?? and ??Shenqi-02??[7], filling multiple gaps in China??s commercial SAR satellite domain. Moreover, ??Fucheng-1?? and ??Shenqi-01?? achieved China??s first commercial repeat-pass InSAR service capability in the space sector, enabling millimeter-level precision in surface deformation monitoring, which have been demonstrated and applied across different industries including construction, transportation, power, water resources, and geology[1,8].

 

Table 1  Main parameters of Spacety??s 20 satellite launch missions

Launch sequence

Launch date/site

Rocket

Satellite

Developer

Main performance

Note

1st

November 10, 2016/Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

Long March 11

Xiaoxiang-1

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, designed service lifetime of 1 year

Commercialized experimental satellite

2nd

February 15, 2017/Satish Dhawan Space Centre

PSLV-C37

Chen Jiayong-1

Spacety and others, together with SpacePharma, Israel

3U CubeSat, carrying a microgravity experiment payload, designed service lifetime of 1 year

Microgravity chemical experiment satellite

3rd

January 19, 2018/Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

Long March 11

Xiangjiang New Area

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, carrying optical fiber sensing payload, etc., designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

Yizhuang??Quantutong-1

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, carrying integrated navigation and communication payload, etc., designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

4th

October 29, 2018/Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

Long March 2B

Xiaoxiang-1-02

Spacety, Shenzhen LaseFleet Space Technology Co., Ltd.

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, carrying laser communication payload, designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

Tongchuan-1

Spacety, Tsinghua University, Tongchuan, Shaanxi Province

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, carrying X-ray detector payload, designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

Tianfu Guoxing-1

Spacety,

Chengdu Adaspace Co., Ltd.

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, carrying 5 m remote sensing camera payload, designed service lifetime of 3 years

Medium-

resolution remote sensing satellite

Changsha Hi-Tech

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, carrying 5 m amateur radio payload, designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

(To be continued on the next page)

(Continued)

Launch sequence

Launch date/site

Rocket

Satellite

Developer

Main performance

Note

5th

December 7, 2018/Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

Long March 2D

Tianfu Xinhe

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, carrying 5 m remote sensing camera payload, designed service lifetime of 3 years

Medium-

resolution remote sensing satellite

TY/DF-1

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, carrying 5 m remote sensing camera payload, etc., designed service lifetime of 3 years

Medium-

resolution remote sensing satellite

Tianfu Guoxing-2

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, carrying 5 m remote sensing camera payload, designed service lifetime of 3 years

Medium-

resolution remote sensing satellite

6th

January 21, 2019/Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

Long March 11

Qingteng

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, carrying panchromatic micro remote sensing camera payload, etc., designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

7th

June 5, 2019/Sea Launch

Long March 11

Louxing

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, carrying 7.2-m resolution RGB remote sensing camera payload, etc., designed service lifetime of 3 years

Medium-

resolution remote sensing satellite

8th

August 31, 2019/Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

Kuaizhou 1A

Xiaoxiang-1-07

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, for the verification of new satellite platforms, designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

9th

November 3, 2019/Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center

Long March 4B

Dianfeng

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, carrying multispectrometer, etc., designed service lifetime of 3 years

Medium-

resolution remote sensing satellite

10th

December 7, 2019/Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center

Kuaizhou 1A

Xiaoxiang-1-06

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, designed service lifetime of 3 years

Medium-

resolution remote sensing satellite

Xiaoxiang-1-23

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, designed service lifetime of 3 years

Medium-

resolution remote sensing satellite

Tianqi-4B

Spacety

6U CubeSat, 10 kg class, designed service lifetime of 3 years

IoT satellite

11th

November 6, 2020/Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center

Long March 6

BUAA Aviation-1

Spacety, Beihang University

12U CubeSat, 20 kg class, carrying space-based ADS-B payloads, etc., designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

12th

December 22, 2020/Wenchang Satellite Launch Center

Long March 8

Yuanguang

Spacety, Hebei University of Technology

12UCubeSat, 20 kg class, carries space tribology experiment payloads, etc., designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

Hisea-1

Spacety

C-band commercial SAR remote sensing satellite, 185 kg, designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercial SAR remote sensing satellite

(To be continued on the next page)

(Continued)

Launch sequence

Launch date/site

Rocket

Satellite

Developer

Main performance

Note

13th

December 7, 2021/Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

CERES-1-Y2

Lize-1

Spacety, Zhongguancun Ruichen Satellite Innovation Application Research Institute, etc.

12U CubeSat, 20 kg class, carrying space tribology experiment payloads, etc., designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

Baoyun

Spacety

12U CubeSat, 20 kg class, carrying satellite intelligent service and computing platform payloads, etc., designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

14th

February 27, 2022/China Wenchang Space Launching Site

Long March 8

Chuangxing Leishen

Spacety

12U CubeSat, 20 kg class, carrying Aurora-2 detector, etc., designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

Chaohu-1

Spacety,The 38th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation

C-band commercial SAR remote sensing satellite, 285 kg, highest resolution 1 m, designed service lifetime of 5 years

Commercial SAR remote sensing satellite

15th

December 14, 2022/Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

ZQ-2-Y1

Wangqizhou

Spacety

12U CubeSat, 20 kg class, designed service lifetime of 3 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

16th

January 15, 2023/Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center

Long March 2D

BUPT-1

Spacety, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications

12U CubeSat, 20 kg class, carrying distributed intelligent computer platform, etc., designed service lifetime of 3?C5 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

17th

June 7, 2023/Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

PR-1

Xi??an Hangtou-8

Spacety

50 kg class scientific research satellite structure, equipped with a panchromatic camera and a laser communication system, designed service lifetime of 5 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

Fucheng-1

Spacety

C-band SAR satellite, 285 kg, designed lifetime of 5 years, achieves a highest resolution of 1 m, capable of operational InSAR imaging capability

Commercial SAR remote sensing satellite

18th

December 9, 2023/Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

ZQ-2-Y3

Honghu

Spacety

A 50 kg class scientific satellite, featuring a xenon/krypton Hall-effect propulsion payload, with a designed lifetime of 3 to 5 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

TY33

Spacety, Hunan University of Science and Technology

50 kg class scientific research satellite, carrying remote sensing camera module payloads, etc., designed service lifetime of 3?C5 years

Commercialized experimental satellite

19th

September 24, 2024/Seas near Haiyang, Shandong

SD-3-Y4

Shenqi-01

Spacety, Zhangye Constellation Space Technology Co., Ltd.

C-band SAR satellite, 285 kg, designed service lifetime of 5 years, highest resolution of 1 m, capable of operational InSAR imaging

Commercial SAR remote sensing satellite

(To be continued on the next page)

(Continued)

Launch sequence

Launch date/site

Rocket

Satellite

Developer

Main performance

Note

20th

May 17, 2025/Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Pilot Zone

ZQ-2E

Shenqi-02

Spacety, Zhangye Constellation Space Technology Co., Ltd.

C-band SAR satellite, 297.5 kg, designed service lifetime of 5 years, highest resolution of 1 m, capable of operational InSAR imaging

Commercial SAR remote sensing satellite

Dizhi-1

Spacety, China University of Geosciences

89 kg, carrying hyperspectral camera payload, designed service lifetime of 5 years

Hyperspectral geological remote sensing intelligent satellite

NCHU-1

Spacety,Nanchang Hangkong University

43.4 kg, carrying multispectral camera payload, designed service lifetime of 5 years

Multispectral ecological environment monitoring intelligent remote sensing satellite

SUSTech-1

Spacety,Southern University of Science and Technology

22.4 kg, carrying space electric field measurement payloads, etc., designed service lifetime of 5 years

Micro satellite for space science research

BUPT-2, BUPT-3

Spacety, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications

73.6 kg/69.8 kg, carrying laser communication payloads, etc., designed service lifetime of 5 years

Tiansuan Constellation second batch of satellites

 

Spacety is a full member of the International Astronautical Federation[9] and has been recognized as a ??National Sci-Tech Small and Medium Enterprise??. It undertakes major projects under China??s National Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation Demonstration Base, and is designated as a Hunan Provincial New R&D Institution. The company operates multiple innovation platforms, including the ??Joint Laboratory for Advanced Micro-Nano Satellite Development?? and the ??Hunan Engineering Research Center for Microsatellites??. Additionally, leveraging its efficient operational capabilities in SAR satellite remote sensing, Spacety established the Commercial (Spacety Satellite) Data Resource Subcenter under the National Earth Observation Data Center[10]. Having captured over 100,000 SAR remote sensing images, the company consistently provides high-quality, time-sensitive data services to users across multiple fields and industries.

2 Metadata of the Dataset

The metadata of Parameter dataset of six satellites of the Spacety??s 20th space mission by a single rocket[11] is summarized in Table 2. It includes the dataset full name, short name, authors, year of the dataset, data format, data size, data files, etc.

3 Main Parameters and Functions of Six Satellites Launched by One Rocket

3.1 Satellite Orbits and Main Parameters

At 12:12 UTC+8 on May 17, 2025, six commercial satellites developed by Spacety were successfully launched aboard the Zhuque-2-Y2 improved rocket[13] from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone (Figure 1).

The satellites launched this time include 1 commercial SAR remote sensing satellite?? ??TY42?? (??Shenqi-02??), 2 optical remote sensing satellites????TY29?? (??Dizhi-1??) and

Table 2  Metadata summary of the Parameter dataset of six satellites of the Spacety??s 20th space mission by a single rocket

Items

Description

Dataset full name

Parameter dataset of six satellites of the Spacety??s 20th space mission by a single rocket

Dataset short name

SpacetyTwentiethSpaceMission

Authors

Zuo, Q. Y., Spacety Co., Ltd (Changsha), zuoqiyao@spacety.cn

Wen, Y., Spacety Co., Ltd (Changsha), wenyi@spacety.cn

Li, Y., Spacety Co., Ltd (Changsha), liying@spacety.cn

Du, J., Zhangye Constellation Space Technology Co., Ltd., dujian@kuafusar.com

Wang, L. Z., China University of Geosciences, lizhe.wang@gmail.com

Tu, X. M., Nanchang Hangkong University, tuxinman@126.com

Wang, S. G., Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, sgwang@bupt.edu.cn

Liu, K. J., Southern University of Science and Technology, liukj@sustech.edu.cn

Ren, W. J., Spacety Co., Ltd (Changsha), renweijia@spacety.cn

Yang, F., Spacety Co., Ltd (Changsha), yangfeng@spacety.cn

Xiong, S. J., Spacety Co., Ltd (Changsha), xiongshujie@spacety.cn

He, Y. X., Spacety Co., Ltd (Changsha), heyixiong@spacety.cn

Zheng, W. P., Spacety Co., Ltd (Changsha), zhengwanping@spacety.cn

Liu, W. F., Spacety Co., Ltd (Changsha), liuweifang@spacety.cn

Li, G. S., Spacety Co., Ltd (Changsha), liguanshan@spacety.cn

Year

2025

Data format

.jpg, .xlsx

 

 

Data size

210 MB

 

 

Data files

(1) launch site images of the 6 satellites; (2) the first batch of images from ??Shenqi-02??, ??Dizhi-1??, and ??NCHU-1??; (3) SAR constellation simulation images from Spacety; (4) the main parameters of 6 satellites

Data publisher

Global Change Research Data Publishing & Repository, http://www.geodoi.ac.cn

Address

No. 11A, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China

Data sharing policy

 

(1) Data are openly available and can be free downloaded via the Internet; (2) End users are encouraged to use Data subject to citation; (3) Users, who are by definition also value-added service providers, are welcome to redistribute Data subject to written permission from the GCdataPR Editorial Office and the issuance of a Data redistribution license; and (4) If Data are used to compile new datasets, the ??ten percent principal?? should be followed such that Data records utilized should not surpass 10% of the new dataset contents, while sources should be clearly noted in suitable places in the new dataset[12]

Communication and searchable system

DOI, CSTR, Crossref, DCI, CSCD, CNKI, SciEngine, WDS, GEOSS, PubScholar, CKRSC

 

??TY35?? (??NCHU-1??), as well as 3 space science experiment satellites????TY34?? (??SUSTech-1??), ??TY45?? (??BUPT-2??), and ??TY46?? (??BUPT-3??). The orbital parameters and key specifications of the satellite launched in this mission are presented in Table 3.

After the 6 satellites accurately entered their orbits, telemetry parameters were normal, and the satellite solar panels and antennas were successfully deployed. The launch mission achieved complete success. As of May 29, 2025, the 6 satellites were confirmed to be in normal in-orbit status, and their payloads successively commenced testing as planned. Among them, the SAR payload and 2 sets of optical camera payloads have completed preliminary imaging tests and obtained the first batch of images.

3.2 The Shenqi-02 Satellite

As the focal point of this launch mission, the ??Shenqi-02?? Satellite is a miniaturized, low-cost, high-performance C-band SAR satellite[14], and the second commercial SAR satellite jointly developed by Spacety and Zhangye Constellation Space Technology Co., Ltd[15]. Equipped with a new-generation synthetic aperture radar payload, its key parameters are comparable to international advanced levels. The satellite supports all-weather Earth observation, capable of providing high-resolution remote sensing data support in fields such as land

Table 3  Satellite orbits and main parameters

Parameters

Dizhi-1

SUSTech-1

NCHU-1

Shenqi-02

BUPT-2

BUPT-3

Orbit type

Sun-synchronous orbit

Orbit altitude

525 km

Local time of descending node

10:30 AM

Main payload

Hyperspectral camera

Space electric field Measurement payload, aurora camera, GRID payload, CXPD payload

Multispectral camera

SAR payload

Laser communication payload, space server, satellite computing computer, Kaufman Electric Propulsion

Laser communication payload, space server, satellite computing computer

Attitude control accuracy

Pointing accuracy:
0.5??(3??);
Stability:
0.05??/s(3??)

Pointing accuracy:

0.1??(3??);

Stability:
0.01??/s(3??)

Pointing accuracy:

0.05??(3??);

Stability: 0.005??/s(3??)

Pointing accuracy:

0.01??(3??);

Stability: 0.001??/s(3??)

Pointing accuracy:

0.1??(3??);

Stability: 0.01??/s(3??)

Pointing accuracy:

0.1??(3??);

Stability: 0.01??/s(3??)

Data transmission rate

600 Mbps

100 Mbps

600 Mbps

600 Mbps

100 Mbps

100 Mbps

Mass

89 kg

22.4 kg

43.4 kg

297.5 kg

73.6 kg

69.8 kg

Designed lifetime

5 Years

5 Years

5 Years

5 Years

5 Years

5 Years

 

Figure 1  Photo of 6 satellites launched deployed on 1 rocket integration

resource monitoring, disaster emergency response, urban infrastructure management, agricultural and forestry assessment, marine environment observation, and geoscience research.

Additionally, the ??Shenqi-02?? Satellite is the third satellite developed by Spacety with operational InSAR imaging capability, supporting millimeter-level deformation monitoring of the earth??s surface, possessing extremely wide application values in key livelihood-related fields such as safety monitoring of water conservancy, electricity, and transportation infrastructure, building safety monitoring, and geological disaster emergency management[16?C20]. the ??Shenqi-02?? Satellite will provide global users with normalized, high-quality, and self-controllable commercial InSAR image data services.

The ??Shenqi-02?? Satellite inherits the mature technology of Spacety??s in-orbit SAR satellites. Through continuous optimization and iteration of the satellite platform and payload, the overall performance and reliability of the satellite have been continuously improved. The satellite platform of the ??Shenqi-02?? Satellite incorporates 3 optimized designs: First, a new generation of electronics architecture from Spacety was introduced for the first time, effectively enhancing the reliability of the satellite service system and energy system, and significantly improving the business support capability of the satellite platform to support longer payload operation; Second, the precision orbit determination system was upgraded, doubling the satellite??s orbit determination accuracy and thus significantly improving the positioning accuracy of InSAR imagery; Third, the data transmission system and attitude/orbit control system were upgraded, significantly enhancing the satellite??s data downlink capability and attitude maneuverability. In addition, the SAR payload was also optimized in design to improve component phase stability and signal-to-noise ratio, further enhancing the satellite??s imaging quality.

The main specifications of the ??Shenqi-02?? Satellite are shown in Table 4. Meanwhile, the table also shows that ??Shenqi-02?? is technically advanced and competitive: its key parameters are not inferior to those of mainstream foreign commercial satellites, and some parameters are even better.

Table 4  Key parameters comparison between the ??Shenqi-02?? Satellite and other commercial satellites

Indicators

Shenqi-02

ICEYE/Finland[21,22]

Capella/the United States[23]

Frequency band

C-Band

X-Band

X-Band

Antenna type

Phase Array

Phase Array

Parabolic

Antenna size

4.56 m??0.8 m

3.25 m??0.4 m

??3.5 m

Maximum bandwidth (MHz)

300

300/600

700

Polarization

VV

VV

VV or HH

Incidence angle

15???C40??

15???C35??

15???C50??

Imaging mode

Spot/Sliding spot, Strip, Scan

Spot/Sliding spot, Strip, Scan

Spot/Sliding spot, Strip

Resolution

and

swath width

Spot

1 m??0.5 m @ 7 km??
7 km

1 m??1 m @ 5 km??5 km

(0.4 m?C1.3 m)??0.5 m @ 5 km??5 km

(0.7 m?C2.3 m)??1 m @ 5 km??10 km

Strip

3 m @ 25 km

3 m @ 30 km

(1.1 m?C3.3 m) ??1.2 m @ 5 km??
20 km

Scan

20 m @ 170 km

15 m @ 100 km

/

Equivalent noise figure/dB

Strip mode: better than ?C22 dB

Strip mode: better than ?C21.5 dB

Strip mode: better than ?C22 dB

Orbit control

??150 m

??300 m

/

Post-processing precise orbit determination accuracy

5 cm

/

/

Interferometry capability

Provides operational services

Be in the experimental phase

No reports available

Target rapid switching capability

Rapid electro-scan switching

Rapid electro-scan switching

Attitude adjustment switching

Data transmission rate

900 Mbps

500 Mbps

1.2 Gbps

 

After the launch of the ??Shenqi-02?? Satellite, all statuses were normal during its pass monitoring. The next day, it executed the first imaging command and successfully acquired the first batch of images, creating the fastest imaging record for Spacety??s SAR satellites after orbit insertion (Figure 2).

After the ??Shenqi-02?? Satellite entered orbit, it will first carry out orbit adjustment to enter the same repeat-pass interferometry pipeline as ??Shenqi-01?? and ??Fucheng-1?? (Figure 3). Thereafter, ??Shenqi-02?? will collaborate with ??Shenqi-01?? and ??Fucheng-1?? to carry out operational repeat-pass InSAR services, and its interferometric measurement cycle will be shortened to 1 day.

 

Figure 2  The first batch of images by Shenqi-02 (18-5-2025)

Figure 3  Satellite orbit and subsatellite point simulation diagram of Shenqi-02, Shenqi-01 and Fucheng-1

3.3 The Dizhi-1 Satellite

The ??Dizhi-1?? Satellite is a hyperspectral geological remote sensing microsatellite[24] led by China University of Geosciences, mainly used for geological environment monitoring. The main parameters of ??Dizhi-1?? camera are shown in Table 5. The ??Dizhi-1?? Satellite has undergone concentrated and refined design of geological exploration spectral bands, covering 410 nm to 2,480 nm, including 16 visible light spectral bands and 10 short-wave infrared spectral bands, forming characteristic spectral bands for geological industry applications. The resolution and swath width of the visible spectrum of the ??Dizhi-1?? Satellite are 14 m @ 43 km, and the resolution and swath width of the short-wave infrared spectrum are 30 m @ 30 km.

Table 5  Main parameters of the Dizhi-1??s camera

Satellite

Dizhi-1

Imaging mode

Push-broom

Spectral range

410 nm?C2,480 nm

Quantity of spectral bands

Visible light band: 16

Short-wave infrared band: 10

Resolution

Visible light band: 14 m

Short-wave infrared band: 30 m

Swath width

Visible light band: 43 km

Short-wave infrared band: 30 km

Side swing angle supporting imaging

??20??

Figure 4  First batch of images by Dizhi-1 (20/22-5-2025)

In addition, the ??Dizhi-1?? Satellite has overcome several key technologies, including the design of a highly reliable integrated opto-mechanical system, highly reliable infrared focal plane filter spectroscopy technology, and camera TDI multi-spectral visible light detection technology. These technological breakthroughs have provided a solid foundation for the efficient application of satellite data in the field of geological environment remote sensing. The ??Dizhi-1?? Satellite is capable of providing high-precision remote sensing data and professional analysis services for the detection, monitoring, identification, interpretation, and analysis of geological and environmental features. Its application scope covers multiple fields, including mineral composition detection, rock type identification, alteration information extraction, soil quality assessment, and water pollution monitoring. Through these high-quality data and services, the ??Dizhi-1?? Satellite has the capability to provide high-precision remote sensing data and professional analysis services for the geological and environmental fields, and is applied to tasks such as detection, monitoring, identification, interpretation, and analysis, its application scope covers multiple fields such as mineral composition detection, rock type identification, alteration information extraction, soil quality assessment, and water pollution monitoring. Through these high-quality data and services, the ??Dizhi-1?? Satellite will assist scientists in more accurately interpreting the geological structure of the Earth, providing strong scientific basis and technical support for resource develo­pment, environmental protection, and disaster prevention.

After the first week of testing, the ??Dizhi-1?? Satellite has preliminary achieved imaging capability and obtained the first batch of images (Figure 4).

3.4 The NCHU-1 Satellite

Table 6  Main parameters of the NCHU-1??s camera

Satellite

NCHU-1

Imaging mode

Push-broom

Spectral range

Panchromatic band: 450?C850 nm

Multispectral band: 430?C860 nm

Quantity of spectral bands

Panchromatic band: 1

Multispectral band: 8

Resolution

Panchromatic band: 5 m

Multispectral band: 20 m

Swath width

100 km

Side swing angle supporting imaging

??20??

The ??NCHU-1?? Satellite is a multispectral intelligent remote sensing satellite for ecological environment monitoring, led by Nanchang Hangkong University in its development. The satellite platform has significant advantages in intelligence and autonomy. The carried multispectral camera adopts an advanced off-axis three-mirror optical system, which comprehensively improves imaging perfor­mance and quality through fine optim­ization of optical parameters such as focal length, field of view, F-number, clear aperture, spectral range, and band selection. The main parameters of the ??NCHU-1?? Satellite multispectral camera are shown in Table 6. The camera supports 1 panchrom­atic band (5 m resolution) and 8 multisp­ectral bands (20 m resolution), with an imaging swath width of 100 km.

Additionally, the camera carries CMOS (Com­plementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) detector features high quantum efficiency, low noise performance, and high-speed imaging capabilities, strongly supporting real-time monitoring and rapid response applications. The ??NCHU-1?? Satellite excels in the field of water environment remote sen­sing, capable of accurately detecting and analyzing water pollution, water quality, and algae information. Meanwhile, it is also suitable for terrestrial environment moni­toring (such as soil and vegetation), providing comprehensive data support for achieving regional sustainable development goals.

Figure 5  First batch of images of the ??NCHU-1?? Satellite (30-5-2025)

Through the initial week of testing, the ??NCHU-1?? Satellite has preliminary achieved imaging capability and obtained the first batch of images (Figure 5).

3.5 The BUPT-2 and BUPT-3 Satellites

The ??BUPT-2?? and ??BUPT-3?? satellites (the second batch of the TianSuan Constellation) were developed by Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, with the core mission of verifying cutting-edge achievements in aerospace information technology. Both satellites are equipped with laser communication payloads supporting a communication rate of 200 Gbps and a communication distance of 2,000 km, and respectively carry space servers, satellite-borne computers, and Kaufman electric propulsion systems. The important in-orbit verification projects of the 2 satellites include 6G intelligent semantic communication transmission, 6G satellite-borne core network architecture testing, satellite-borne container operation reliability and performance testing, satellite-ground high-speed data transmission link protocol performance testing, satellite-ground IP network real-time audio-video calling quality of service testing, on-board IoT time-series database management system testing, and power consumption and heat dissipation-aware satellite image inference. The collaborative application of these advanced technologies will promote the gradual realization of the vision of ??both space-side and ground-side data calculated in space??, contributing innovative momentum and intelligent solutions for the country to explore the construction of aerospace information infrastructure.

3.6 The SUSTech-1 Satellite

The ??SUSTech-1?? Satellite was the Southern University of Science and Technology??s first space science micro-satellite, carrying the space electric field measurement payload and aurora camera payload independently developed by the university. The satellite also carries the GRID payload (Gamma Ray Integrated Detection payload), the CXPD payload (Cosmic X-ray Polarization Detection payload) from Guangxi University, as well as the satellite-ground IP link terminal and thermoelectric conversion verification unit[25] independently developed by Spacety. Among them, the space electric field measurement payload, utilizing antenna booms, detects dynamic electric fields in space plasmas, establishing itself as a critical technique for monitoring Earth??s magnetosphere and ionosphere. This payload deployment marks the first global instance of deploying an electric field antenna exceeding 10 m (up to 12 m) on a micro-satellite platform, breaking the record for micro-satellite electric field antenna length. This breakthrough enables micro-satellites to perform high-precision electric field measurements, offering new solutions for the development of China??s deep space exploration technology.

The auroral camera payload enables real-time monitoring of large-scale auroral phenomena, with a focus on dynamically capturing auroral activities in high-latitude regions. As China??s first micro-satellite-based auroral optical observation mission, the ??SUSTech-1?? Satellite leverages precision orbit design to provide a 9-minute continuous observation window during each pass through the auroral zone. Its high-sensitivity aurora imager meticulously documents morphological evolution features of auroras, delivering critical observational data for decoding solar wind-magnetosphere coupling mechanisms.

4 Special Features of Spacety??s 20th Space Mission

This launch marks Spacety??s first dedicated six-satellite mission and its 20th space expedition to date. With 37 satellites successfully deployed cumulatively, the achievement not only signifies Spacety??s transformational shift from ??single-satellite technology demonstration?? to ??volume satellite production??, but also establishes the world??s first end-to-end C-band commercial SAR satellite ecosystem??spanning satellite design, constellation operations, and data services.

The successful completion of this space mission demonstrates the following 2 characteristics.

(1) Practice of Spacety??s full-range satellite products: It covers full-range satellite products, including optical remote sensing satellites, SAR remote sensing satellites, and scientific research satellites; it also covers full-range satellite platforms, with applications of 20 kg to 300 kg-class satellite platforms.

(2) In-orbit verification of multiple new technologies by Spacety: ??Shenqi-02?? will carry out key technology verification of in-orbit optical-SAR collaboration with ??Dizhi-1?? and ??NCHU-1??, achieving efficient fusion processing and precise utilization of the 2 types of remote sensing data, improving the integrity, accuracy, and timeliness of earth observation data in complex environments, and providing more reliable space-air-ground information support for disaster emergency monitoring, environmental monitoring, resource dynamic assessment and other fields. At the same time, relying on ??BUPT-2??, ??BUPT-3??, and ??SUSTech-1??, Spacety will focus on independently developing and validating key technologies such as real-time data interaction via IP links between satellites and ground stations, thermoelectric conversion, and attitude control for laser inter-satellite communication. This move will comprehensively enhance the technical capabilities of Spacety??s satellite platform in the fields of intelligent measurement and control, efficient energy utilization, and high-speed inter-satellite data transmission, laying a solid technical foundation for the networking and operation of the next-generation high-performance SAR satellites in the future.

5 Spacety??s SAR Constellation and Satellite Technology Road Map

Spacety aims to ??provide full-link technical support for the large-scale networking and operation of commercial SAR remote sensing satellites, and build a highly reliable and high-performance SAR constellation service system??, comprehensively empowering space technology innovation and industrial application ecosystem construction. Spacety??s SAR constellation plans to have 120 satellites, adopting a multi-inclination hybrid constellation scheme (Table 7). After the constellation is completed, the timeliness of earth observation will be significantly improved: the maximum revisit period for global targets is better than 30 minutes, the average revisit period for targets between 60?? north and south latitudes is better than 11 minutes, and the InSAR imaging coverage period of the whole China does not exceed 2 days.

 

Table 7  Main parameters of Spacety??s SAR constellation

No.

Inclination

Satellite quantity

Orbital planes quantity

Quantity of satellites per orbital plane

Orbit altitude

1

97.4??

48

6

8

500 km

2

55??

48

6

8

500 km

3

35??

24

6

4

500 km

 

Facing the future development trend of instant remote sensing SAR satellite constellations, Spacety has bench-marked international cutting-edge technologies, established a technical road map for lightweight small SAR satellites with high spatial-temporal resolution, and launched the development of low-cost, mass-produced, and high-performance SAR satellites for constellation deployment (Figure 6). Focusing on technical directions such as commercial device-based, miniaturized, lightweight, and standardized satellite technologies, Spacety will prioritize breaking through more than 10 key technologies, including satellite reliability design based on industrial-grade components, miniaturized antenna array design, distributed energy system design, integrated platform-payload structural design, and high-precision lightweight antenna deployment mechanism design. It is committed to the research and development of core components such as integrated modular integrated electronic systems and lightweight modular digital phased array antennas. The technical level of Spacety??s next-generation SAR satellites will be significantly improved with a substantial cost reduction, making them suitable for mass and rapid constellation deployment to support the upgrading of China??s commercial space industry chain.

 

Figure 6  Technical roadmap for lightweight small SAR satellites with high spatiotemporal resolution

6 Conclusion

The successful 20th space mission of Spacety, launching six satellites by one rocket, is not only a milestone in its commercial space endeavor but also marks the leapfrog upgrade of China??s small satellite technology system from ??single-mission execution?? to ??systematic capability building??. The differentiated payload configurations of the 6 satellites demonstrate Spacety??s parallel breakthrough capabilities in multiple technical paths such as SAR remote sensing, hyperspectral detection, and space environment monitoring??from operational InSAR deformation monitoring by C-band SAR satellites, to precise inversion of mineral compositions by hyperspectral satellites, and to in-orbit verification of space electric field measurement and laser communication technologies. This R&D model of ??platform-based universal design + payload modular integration?? provides a replicable engineering paradigm for low-cost and high-efficiency technological iteration in commercial space.

This successful launch mission of Spacety is of milestone significance for industrial development: it has achieved the first development upgrade from ??single-satellite verification?? to ??mass production??, and established a C-band commercial SAR satellite industrial ecosystem covering the whole process of ??satellite design-constellation operation and maintenance-data service??. The 20-kg to 300-kg full-spectrum satellite platform products launched this time not only demonstrate Spacety??s comprehensive R&D strength and product matrix layout in the field of small satellite technology, but also lay a solid foundation for the subsequent industrial application of satellites.

 

Author Contributions

Zuo, Q. Y., Wen, Y. and Li, Y. wrote the original draft; Du, J., Wang, L. Z., Tu, X. M., Wang, S. G., Liu, K. J., Ren, W. J., Yang, F., Xiong, S. J., He, Y. X., Zheng, W. P., Liu, W. F. and Li, G. S. reviewed and edited the paper.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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