Zhongke Xiguang: Precisely positioning itself in the small satellite industry chain, prioritizing high quality even with low weight.

Aiming at its broad development prospects and application needs in various fields such as military, civilian and commercial sectors in my country, CAS Xiguang Aerospace has accurately laid out the small satellite industry chain, independently designed, developed and operated a commercial integrated remote sensing microsatellite constellation system, vigorously improved the performance level, lifespan and manufacturing capabilities of small satellites, and continuously innovated new uses and new systems for small satellites in various fields. It has given full play to the characteristics of small satellites, such as mobility, high functional density, short development cycle, high cost-effectiveness and suitability for large-scale constellation networking, and comprehensively developed optical remote sensing microsatellite constellations and business operations.

 50   kg： 

 Developing a new generation of 50kg-class ultralight miniature satellites 

The networking capability of small satellites is a key factor in the development of commercial small satellite companies. Based on the future demand for large-scale commercial satellite networking, Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics CAS Aerospace Science and Technology Group Co.,LTD has invested early, accelerating the construction of its satellite platform, optical payload, and overall satellite design verification capabilities, and speeding up the development and utilization of new AIT technologies and methods to comprehensively enhance its rapid research, development, production, and application capabilities for 50kg-class microsatellites. In 2022, Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics CAS Aerospace Science and Technology Group Co.,LTD's 50kg-class hyperspectral satellite will become the lightest and smallest hyperspectral satellite in China. With the capabilities of a 100kg-class hyperspectral and high-resolution satellite, the 50kg-class satellite will not only significantly reduce satellite size and weight, thereby lowering research and development and launch costs and increasing profit margins, but also allow for the rapid formation of remote sensing constellations using a single launch of multiple satellites, enabling a comprehensive market penetration.

 100  kg    ： 

 For the first time in China, a hyperspectral imager has been mounted on a satellite weighing over 100 kilograms. 

By continuously optimizing the onboard payload configuration and key technical indicators, CAS Xi'an Optics & Technology Co., Ltd. has further enhanced the platform's capabilities, improving the system's spatial resolution, temporal resolution, and observation methods. The two hyperspectral satellites currently undergoing ground-based joint testing are the first in China to carry hyperspectral imagers on satellites weighing over 100 kilograms, achieving the highest geographic and spectral resolution in the country. The hyperspectral satellite to be launched next year will form a constellation with these two, enabling shorter revisit cycles for key global regions, providing global observation capabilities, and further improving capabilities in areas such as ocean color and land resource detection.

 50-150   kg： 

 China's first commercial carbon satellite: low weight and high precision 

In response to the national goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, CAS Xi'an Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., based on its existing technological foundation, is committed to promoting the application of agile, flexible, and high-revisit-rate space-based greenhouse gas atmospheric monitoring. Combining existing carbon satellites, CAS Xi'an Optoelectronics has proposed a carbon monitoring technology solution based on micro-nano satellites. This solution designs a remote sensing satellite capable of monitoring the concentrations of major greenhouse gases, employing compact hyperspectral payload technology combined with 100-kilogram-class micro-nano satellite technology, with the total satellite weight expected to not exceed 150 kg. Through optimized orbit design, it can monitor atmospheric greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide) and ground vegetation in and around high-population-density, high-industrial-density, and high-heat-emission local areas. This not only enables the monitoring and source tracing of carbon emission concentration changes but also provides assessment data for carbon-neutral resource management through remote sensing statistics of vegetation, serving as a powerful supplement to existing carbon satellites.

Besides carbon dioxide, methane is the second leading cause of global warming. Methane concentration monitors, with their advantages of narrow swath width, high spatial resolution, and periodic stability, can accurately track methane emission sources, enabling regulatory authorities to better track and manage the specific sources of methane emissions. In 2022, CAS Xiguang put into operation a 50-kilogram-class methane monitoring satellite targeting dual carbon emissions. This satellite can obtain high-resolution spectral images of methane column concentration changes, enabling precise location of methane point source emissions. The commissioning of this satellite not only marks the birth of China's first commercial aerospace carbon satellite but also signifies that CAS Xiguang has become the first and only commercial aerospace company in China to focus on the dual carbon business segment.

 50-200   kg： 

 The lightest and smallest high-resolution optical satellite in its class 

Targeting the future market demand for large-scale commercial high-resolution remote sensing satellites, the company has made early investments to accelerate the development of its satellite platform, optical payload, and overall satellite design verification capabilities. It has also accelerated the development and utilization of new AIT technologies and methods, achieving sub-meter-level high-resolution imaging remote sensing capabilities on a 100-kilogram-class micro-nano satellite platform. The company has already established the production capacity for 0.75m and 0.5m resolution remote sensing satellites and will launch a 0.3m resolution remote sensing satellite service. Through rapid and agile attitude control design, the company aims to achieve clearer and more flexible Earth remote sensing imaging.

Meanwhile, driven by the demand for high-resolution remote sensing imagery from ground-based data application users and taking into account domestic remote sensing data control policies, the company is fully committed to developing a "triple-high" satellite—ultra-high resolution, ultra-high agility and maneuverability, and ultra-high pointing and positioning accuracy—to meet the application needs of users in specialized fields. The deployable optical telescope technology employed also allows the satellite to occupy less launch space and weight than traditional high-resolution satellites, significantly reducing launch costs; the total satellite weight is expected to not exceed 200 kg.

 1-50   kg： 

 Lightweight and miniaturized payloads greatly reduce satellite launch costs. 

Based on the aforementioned preliminary established research and development direction, the satellite will primarily carry hyperspectral payloads, hyperspectral payloads, a precision optical turntable, and a lightweight, high-resolution payload. The hyperspectral payload, through lightweight design, keeps the weight of a single satellite under 60 kg, allowing for a four-satellite launch with a revisit cycle of more than two times per day, meeting the needs of most hyperspectral applications. The hyperspectral payload will primarily monitor greenhouse gas concentrations for carbon neutrality; through lightweight design, the methane monitoring satellite will weigh less than 50 kg, and the carbon dioxide monitoring satellite less than 150 kg. The high-resolution Earth remote sensing payload will achieve ultra-high-resolution Earth imaging while maintaining a small launch size and weight, significantly reducing satellite launch costs and breaking through the current commercial spaceflight Earth resolution limit of 0.5 m, aiming to reach 0.3 m.

Today, the global commercial space industry has entered a phase of rapid development, with space technology research and development and product manufacturing accelerating. The development of small satellites will also have a transformative impact on the military, civilian, and commercial space sectors. Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics CAS Aerospace Science and Technology Group Co.,LTD will build upon its existing foundation to continue its in-depth development of small satellite technology, continuously optimizing various key performance indicators to meet industry market demands and contribute to my country's small satellite industry.