FengYun-3, or FY-3 satellites, are China's second-generation polar-orbiting meteorological satellites, with substantively enhanced functionalities and technical capabilities. They are designed to enhance China's three dimensional atmospheric sounding capability and global data acquisition capability, in an effort to collect more cloud and surface characteristics data, from which meteorologists may infer out the atmospheric, land surface and sea surface parameters that are global, all-weather, three-dimensional, quantitative, and multi-spectral. FY-3 meteorological satellites have their applications mainly in the following four aspects:
1) Provide global meteorological parameters with a balanced resolution to numerical weather prediction;
2) Provide diverse meteorological and geophysical parameters to global change studies, including climate variation studies, and to climate projections;
3) Monitor large-scale natural disasters and surface ecological environment;
4) Provide weather information on any part of the world for specialized activities, including aviation, marine activities among others, and provide meteorological support for national defense.
FY-3 satellites are developed and manufactured in two groups. FY-3A and FY-3B in the first group was launched on May 17, 2008 and November 5, 2010, respectively. With a further enhanced remote sensing capability, the second group of FY-3 satellites will be launched after 2013, with a life expectancy of 15 years.