Tianyan (Chinese: 天眼; pinyin: Tiānyǎn; lit. 'Sky/Heaven Eye'), often translated into English as SkyEye or Eye in the Sky, is a reconnaissance satellite program of the People's Republic of China. To date, the Tianyan satellite program has launched one satellite from the Yizheng class (Yizheng-1) and two satellites from the Xingshidai class (Xingshidai-8 and 12).
Tianyan-1 (天眼一号; Tiānyǎn yī hào), alternatively identified as Yizheng-1 (仪征一号; Yí Zhèng yī hào), is a commercial Chinese electro-optical Earth-imaging reconnaissance satellite launched in 2019.[1] Yizheng 1 reportedly has a spatial resolution of 0.9 meters.[1]
Tianyan-1 was designed and funded by Zhongxing Space Remote Sensing Satellite Technology Service Co. Ltd. (中星空间遥感卫星技术服务有限公司), a private company based in Jiangsu Province's Yizheng Economic Development Zone, where the satellite derives its name.[2] Tianyan-1 is the first satellite designed by the company and is the first of eight planned satellites in the Yizheng constellation according to Guo Haiyu.[2][3] The satellite was launched by the private satellite company MinoSpace, also known as Weina Star Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing MicroStar Technology Co., Ltd, and Beijing Weina Starry Sky Technology Co. Ltd. (北京微纳星空科技有限公司簡稱微纳星空), based in Haidian District, Beijing.[1][4] This launch was the company's fifth.[5]
Tianyan-1 was launched at 11:22 am (CST) on 20 December 2019 aboard a Long March 4B (CZ-4B) rocket from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (TSLC) Launch Site 9 into a sun-synchronouslow-earth orbit (LEO).[1] 16 minutes after the launch (at 11:38), once the rocket had exited the atmosphere and deployed the Tianyan-1, the ground station began to receive telemetry data, and one minute later (at 11:39), the satellite indicated that it had successfully deployed its antenna and solar panels.[2][6] Tianyan-1 was launched in the "One Arrow and Nine Stars" (一箭九星; Yī Jiàn Jiǔ Xīng) mission alongside eight other satellites:[1][4][7]
CBERS-4A, a joint Chinese-Brazilian Earth-imaging satellite and the launch's primary payload
Tianyan-2 (天眼二号), also known as Xingshidai-8 (星时代八号), a low-resolution Earth imagery and 6G test platform
In a ceremony held the day of the launch, Liu Changrong (刘长荣), director of the Yizheng Economic Development Zone, announced that Tianyan-1 was the first sub-meter high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite to be independently developed, designed, manufactured, launched, and operated from Jiangsu Province.[2] A press release published three days following the launch by Yizheng City Natural Resources and Planning Bureau described the satellite as weighing 72 kilograms and bearing a high-resolution imager to support natural resource monitoring, disaster prevention, urban planning, and emergency management; though the satellite likely also supports reconnaissance missions of the Chinese government.[9]
Tianyan-2 (天眼二号; Tiānyǎn èr hào), alternatively known as Xingshidai-8 (星时代八号; Xīng Shídài bā hào; 'Star Age 8'), is a commercial Chinese 6U CubeSat reconnaissance satellite bearing both a low-resolution Earth video-imager launched. The satellite also carried the nickname SciFi World AI Satellite (科幻世界号AI卫星; Kēhuàn shìjiè hào AI wèixīng) as a dedication to the SciFi community.[10][11]
Tianyan-2 was jointly-developed by Beijing Micro-Nano Star and Chengdu Guoxing Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd.[11]
Tianyan-5 (天眼五号; Tiānyǎn wǔ hào), alternatively known as Xingshidai-12 (星时代十二号; Xīng Shídài shí'èr hào; 'Star Age 12') or as the University of Electronic Science and Technology (ESTC) satellite (电子科技大学号卫星; Diànzǐ Kējì Dàxué hào wèixīng), is an earth-imaging satellite bearing an additional experimental '6G' communications payload. The satellite's imager and communications payload sit upon a MN50 satellite bus built by Weina (Minospace). Tianyan-5 was launched on a Long March 6 rocket from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (TSLC) on 6 November 2020 but decayed two years and nine months later on 8 August 2023.
^ abcdYanqui, Zheng; Yan, Jiang (20 December 2019). "骄傲！天空中多了一颗"仪征星"，"仪征一号"亚米级遥感卫星发射成功" [Hoorah! There is an additional "Yizheng star" in the sky, and the "Yizheng-1" sub-meter remote sensing satellite was successfully launched]. Yangzhou Radio and Television Yangfan Mobile Channel (in Chinese).
^"剧透！ "仪征一号"上天后，仪征还会再发同类卫星吗？" [spoiler! After "Yizheng-1" launches into space, will Yizheng launch another similar satellite?]. 白沙天地 (in Chinese). 22 December 2019.
^"长征四号乙一箭多星发射成功！搭载有民营卫星制造公司微纳星空" [Long March 4B successfully launched multiple satellites with one rocket! Equipped with Micro-Nano Star, a private satellite manufacturing company]. QQ News (in Chinese). 20 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"微分航宇公司太阳翼解锁展开机构顺利完成在轨解锁展开任务" [Microfen Aerospace’s solar wing unlocking and deployment mechanism successfully completed the on-orbit unlocking and deployment mission]. Weifen Hangyu (in Chinese). 20 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ abBrown, Li (31 March 2023). ""天琴一号"上天，我国始建长达51万公里的"太空引力波天文台"" ["Tianqin-1" went into space, and my country began to build a 510,000-kilometer-long "Space Gravitational Wave Observatory"]. 163.com (in Chinese).
^"仪征一号"顺利升空 开启仪征市自然资源调查监测新篇章" ["Yizheng-1" successfully launched into space and opened a new chapter in the investigation and monitoring of natural resources in Yizheng City]. Yizheng Natural Resources and Planning Bureau (in Chinese). 23 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ ab"微纳星空与国星宇航联合研制的AI卫星（星时代8），荣登四川科技报" [The AI satellite (Star Age 8) Jointly Developed by Micro-Nano Star and China Star Aerospace was Featured in Schuan Science and Technology News]. Beijing MicroStar Technology Co., Ltd (in Chinese). 14 January 2020.
