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Jilin-1 Satellite

Jilin-1’s impressive constellation of 30-cm to 1.2-m satellites offers both day and nighttime imagery so you’ll never be in the dark.

The Jilin-1 Advantage

92-cm & 1.2-m Nighttime Color Imagery

Jilin-1 is one of the few satellites collecting color 92-cm and 1.2-m imagery on the dark side of the planet, lending a unique perspective of Earth.

High-Resolution Red Edge Band

Five Jilin-1 Video satellites collect 3.68-m red edge spectral data which provides valuable insights for vegetation mapping projects.

120-Second Video Mode

Jilin-1 Video satellites also collect high-definition 92-cm and 1.2-m color video at a rate of 10 frames per second for up to 120 seconds.

Frequent Revisits

The entire high-resolution Jilin-1 constellation revisits the same location up six times a day at 30-cm to 1.2-m resolution.

Overview & History

Jilin-1 is a constellation of multiple high-resolution satellites launched from 2015 and on. These satellites offer a variety of resolutions, collection capabilities, sensors and spectral bands to meet an array of use cases, including video, nighttime imaging and red edge spectral data.

The Jilin-1 constellation features the only known commercial satellites to collect both 92-centimeter (cm) and 1.2-meter (m) color nighttime imagery and high-definition video. With night imagery at 92-cm and 1.2-m resolution and in natural color, the Jilin-1 Video and GF03C Series are ideal solutions for studying light pollution, population, change detection and illegal fishing.

April 30th, 2022 marked an important date for Jilin-1 with the launch of GF04A, the first 30-cm resolution satellite to join the constellation. First launched in 2021, satellites in the Jilin-1 KF Optical series collect 50-cm panchromatic and 2-m 4-band multispectral (i.e. blue, green, red and near-infrared [NIR]) imagery with a massive swath width of 136-km or greater. And since 2019, multiple GF Optical series Jilin-1 satellites have launched into orbit with 75-cm resolution and 17-km to 40-km swath widths.

Jilin-1 Specifications

Launch Details
  • Launch Date:
    • Optical A, Video 01/02/03: October 7, 2015, 04:11 to 04:13 UTC
    • Video 04/05/06: November 21, 2017, 04:50 UTC
    • Video 07/08: January 19, 2018, 04:12 UTC
    • GF03A: June 05, 2019, 04:06 UTC
    • GF02A: November 13, 2019, 03:40 UTC
    • GF02B: December 07, 2019, 02:55 UTC
    • KF01A: January 15, 2020, 02:53 UTC
    • GF03B-01/02/03/04/05/06, GF03C-01/02/03: September 15, 2020, 01:13 UTC
    • KF01B, GF03D-01/02/03: July 3, 2021, 02:51 UTC
    • GF02D: September 27, 2021, 06:19 UTC
    • GF02F: October 27, 2021, 06:19 UTC
    • GF03D10-18: February 27, 2022
    • GF03D04-07: April 30, 2022
    • GF04A: April 30, 2022
    • GF03D27-33: May 5, 2022
    • KF01C: May 5, 2022
    • GF03D09: August 10, 2022 (also referred to as DP series)
    • GF03D35-43: August 10, 2022 (also referred to as DP series)
    • GF03D08, GF03D51-54: November 16, 2022
    • GF03D47-50: December 9, 2022, 6:35 UTC
    • GF03D34: January 1, 2023, 3:14 UTC
    • GF03D19-26: May 22, 2023
    • KF02B01-06: September 20, 2024, 4:11 UTC
  • Expected Mission Life: at least 3 years; Video 01/02 were test satellites only
Jilin-1 Components
  • Satellite Model: Jilin-1 constellation series, built by Chang Guang Satellite Technology
  • Dimensions:
    • Optical A: < 420 kilograms (kg)
    • Video 01/02: < 95 kg
    • Video 03: < 165 kg
    • Video 04/05/06/07/08: < 208 kg
    • GF02A/B: 220 kg
    • GF03A: < 40 kg
    • KF01A/KF01B/KF02B: 1,250 kg
    • GF03B-01/02/03/04/05/06, GF03C-01/02/03: 40 kg
    • GF03D Series: 43 kg
Orbit Characteristics
  • Altitude:
    • Optical A: 650 kilometers (km)
    • Video 01/02: 656 km
    • Video 03/04/05/06/07/08: 535 km
    • GF02A/B: 535 km
    • GF03A: 572 km
    • KF01A: 481 km
    • GF02D/F, GF03B-01/02/03/04/05/06, GF03C-01/02/03, GF03D Series, KF01B/KF02B: 535 km
  • Period:
    • Optical A, Video 01/02: 97.7 minutes
    • Video 03/04/05/06/07/08: 95.4 minutes
    • GF02A/B: 95.3 minutes
    • GF03A: 96.1 minutes
    • KF01A/KF01B/KF02B: 94.3 minutes
    • GF03D series: 95 minutes
  • Inclination:
    • Optical A: 98.04°
    • Video 01/02: 98°
    • Video 03/04/05/06/07/08: 97.54°
    • GF02A/B: 97.4°
    • GF03A: 45°
    • KF01A/KF01B/KF02B: 97.2°
    • GF03D series: 97.6°
  • Direction: sun-synchronous circular, north to south (across the lit side of Earth); 45° inclined circular orbit (GF03A only)
  • Equatorial Crossing Time:
    • Optical A, Video 01/02/03/07/08: 10:30 AM local time (approximate; across lit side of Earth)
    • Video 04/05/06: 12:00 PM local time (approximate; across lit side of Earth)
    • GF02A/GF02B/KF01A/KF01B/KF02B: 10:00 AM local time (approximate; across lit side of Earth)
  • Revisit Frequency: (per satellite)
    • < 45° off-nadir: 3.3 days, Optical/Video series; < 4 days, GF series; < 7 days, KF series
    • < 20° off-nadir: 9 days, Optical/Video series
    • Nighttime/video imagery only: ~ 7 to 9 days
Imaging System
  • Spectral Bands:
    • GF04A/GF02A/GF02B/GF03A/KF01A/KF01B/KF02B/KF01C/Optical A, GF03B-01/02/03/04/05/06, GF03D Series: panchromatic & 4-band multispectral (red, green, blue, near-infrared [NIR])
    • GF03C-01/02/03, Video 01/02/03: 3-band color (red, green, blue)
    • Video 04/05/06/07/08: panchromatic & 5-band multispectral (red, green, blue, near-infrared [NIR], red edge); 3-band color (red, green, blue; video & nighttime imaging only)
  • Sensor Resolution: (at nadir)
    • Optical A–72-cm panchromatic, 2.88-m multispectral
    • Video 01/02–1.13-m color (video imaging only)
    • Video 03–92-cm color (video & nighttime imaging only)
    • Video 04/05/06/07/08–92-cm panchromatic, 3.68-m multispectral; 92-cm color (video & nighttime imaging only)
    • GF03C-01/02/03–1.2-m color (video & nighttime imaging only)
    • GF02A/GF02B/GF02C/GF02D/KF01A, GF03D Series–75-cm panchromatic, 3-m multispectral
    • KF01B/KF02B/KF01C–50-cm panchromatic, 2-m multispectral
    • GF03B-01/02/03/04/05/06–1-m panchromatic, 4-m multispectral
    • GF03A–1.06-m panchromatic, 4.24-m multispectral
    • GF04A–30-cm panchromatic, 1.2-m multispectral
  • Optical A Spectral Band Wavelength Range: (in nm)
    • Panchromatic–612 to 794
    • Blue–457 to 526
    • Green–540 to 595
    • Red–628 to 688
    • NIR–700 to 800
  • Video 01/02 Spectral Band Wavelength Range: (in nm)
    • RGB Layer–430 to 720
  • Video 03 Spectral Band Wavelength Range: (in nm)
    • Blue–410 to 500
    • Green–500 to 580
    • Red–580 to 690
  • Video 04/05/06/07/08 Spectral Band Wavelength Range: (in nm)
    • Panchromatic–450 to 800
    • Blue–450 to 510
    • Green–510 to 580
    • Red–630 to 690
    • Red edge–705 to 745
    • NIR–770 to 895
  • GF03C-01/02/03, Video 04/05/06/07/08 Nighttime & Video Mode Spectral Band Wavelength Range: (in nm)
    • Blue–437 to 512
    • Green–489 to 585
    • Red–580 to 723
  • GF02A/GF02B/GF03A/KF01B/KF02B/KF01C, GF03B-01/02/03/04/05/06 Spectral Band Wavelength Range: (in nm)
    • Panchromatic–450 to 800
    • Blue–450 to 510
    • Green–510 to 580
    • Red–630 to 690
    • NIR–770 to 895
  • GF02F/GF02D/KF01A Spectral Band Wavelength Range: (in nm)
    • Panchromatic–450 to 800
    • Blue–450 to 510
    • Green–510 to 580
    • Red–630 to 690
    • NIR–770 to 895
  • GF03D Series Spectral Band Wavelength Range: (in nm)
    • Panchromatic–450 to 700
    • Blue–430 to 520
    • Green–520 to 610
    • Red–610 to 690
    • NIR–770 to 895
  • Dynamic Range:
    • Optical A–10-bits
    • Video 01/02/03–8-bits
    • Video 04/05/06/07/08–12-bits; 8-bits (video & nighttime imaging only)
    • GF02A/GF02B/GF03A/KF01A/KF01B/KF02B–12 bits
Collection Capabilities
  • Collection Geometry: (at nadir)
    • Optical A: 11.6 km (width) x 11.6 km (length)
    • Video 01/02: 4.6 km × 3.4 km
    • Video 03: 11 km x 4.5 km
    • Video 04/05/06/07/08: 19 km wide x up to 420 km long (pushbroom, daytime imaging); 11 km × 4.5 km (video & nighttime imaging only)
    • GF02A/B: two cameras at slightly over 20 km, combined footprint width of 40 to 42 km; 2,100 km maximum length
    • GF03A: 18.5 km x up to 2,280 km
    • KF01A: 136 km x up to 4,200 km; full scene is divided into 23 km x 23 km sections upon data transfer
    • GF02D/F: 40 km wide
    • GF03C-01/02/03: 14.4 km (wide) x 6 km (long)
    • GF03B-01/02/03/04/05/06, GF03D Series: > 17 km wide
    • KF01B/KF02B/KF01C: > 150 km wide
    • GF04A: 15 km wide
  • Daytime (Mono) Collection Capacity:
    • Optical A: 18,480 sq km per satellite per day
    • Video 04/05/06/07/08: 15,960 sq km per satellite per day
    • GF02A/B–150,000 sq km per satellite per day
    • GF03A–630,000 sq km per day
    • KF01A–1,300,000 sq km per day
    • GF02D/F: 200,000 sq km per satellite per day
    • GF03B-01/02/03/04/05/06, GF03D Series: 50,000 sq km per satellite per day
    • KF01B/KF02B: 1,200,000 sq km per satellite per day
  • Nighttime Collection Capacity:
    • Video 03: 627 sq km per satellite per day
    • Video 04/05/06/07/08: 1,083 sq km per satellite per day
    • GF03C-01/02/03: 1,000 sq km per day per satellite
  • Video Collection Capacity:
    • Video 03/04/05/06/07/08: nine 30-second videos per satellite per day
    • GF03C-01/02/03: 160 seconds per day per satellite
  • Georeferenced Horizontal Accuracy:
    • Optical/Video series: 200-m (CE90) without GCP (global average, dependent on terrain)
    • GF02A/GF02B/KF01A/KF01B/KF01C: 20-m (CE90) without GCP (global average, dependent on terrain)
    • KF02B: 8.5-m (CE90) without GCP (global average, dependent on terrain)
    • GF03A: 10-m (CE90) without GCP (global average, dependent on terrain)
    • GF03C-01/02/03: 300-m (CE90) without GCP (global average, dependent on terrain)
    • GF03B-01/02/03/04/05/06, GF03D Series: 100-m (CE90) without GCP (global average, dependent on terrain)

Pricing

Data Source

archived nighttime imagery

Minimum Order Size

25 sq km (per area & date)

Product Type

georeferenced + natural color

Data Source

75-cm archived daytime imagery

Minimum Order Size

25 sq km (per area & date)

Product Type

georeferenced + natural color/4-band/5-band

Completing an atmospheric correction and/or radiance conversion of Jilin-1 KF01A imagery?

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