"Xunming Hometown I" launched in Guangdong

"Xunming Hometown I", a low-earth orbit satellite, was launched in Yangjiang, Guangdong province recently. Having successfully entered the target orbit, marking a significant breakthrough in China's commercial space launches.

Jointly built by the Land and Sea Space (Yantai) Information Technology Co Ltd and the Shenzhen Aerospace Dongfang Honghaite Satellite Co Ltd, the satellite leads the industry in terms of performance indicators, with a swath width of 12 km and a maximum data transfer rate of 1.8 Gbps.

According to the companies, the satellite is equipped with an intelligent processing terminal and can generate and transmit real-time images of regions of interest, greatly improving both the speed and efficiency of acquiring standardized images. It is expected to help with the development of several cutting-edge technologies, including precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, and emergency management.

"The satellite launch is also a perfect practice of integrating Chinese tea culture into the space industry," said Li Hong, owner of Fujian Xunming Hometown Technology Co Ltd, a contributor to the satellite project.

Li said the name "Xunming Hometown I" means the respect for and inheritance of traditional Chinese cultures, and she expects the cultures to serve as a new impetus for the country's scientific innovation.

Dedicated to the research and production of Fuding white tea, a national geographical indication product originating in Fuding, a county-level city of Fujian province, Li actively promotes the combination of space cultural activities and Fuding tea culture. She has introduced new products like "space cold brew tea" and will work with a Beijing-based team to build a "space tea" cultural tourism base.

The satellite will continue to collect valuable data, which will not only help improve Chinese people's livelihoods but also offer new perspectives for the scientific research on tea culture, Li added.

Endowed with strong demand and advanced technologies, China's commercial satellite industry has entered a critical stage of development. For the industry to truly mature and become more profitable, the Chinese government needs to provide stronger support and promote the application of satellite technology in emerging sectors such as tourism and insurance, said Gu Xingfa, a member of the International Academy of Astronautics.