Satellite ground stations enable real time use of data for navigation, disaster response

Have you ever wondered how satellites orbiting Earth transmit crucial data back to us? In this episode of Science Talk, we explore the role of satellite ground stations — the vital link between space and everyday applications like navigation, disaster forecasting, and urban planning.

China has achieved real time reception of satellite data across its entire national territory since September last year, when a satellite ground station located at an altitude of 2,827 meters in Lijiang, Yunnan province, was completed and put into operation.

"In other words, when a satellite passes over China, the data it collects is received by the ground station and transmitted in real time to the Beijing headquarters for distribution to relevant departments or research institutes, enabling them to access the data promptly," said Tang Mengyue, head of the Lijiang satellite ground station at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Aerospace Information Innovation Research Institute.

Since the establishment of the first ground station in Miyun district, Beijing, in 1986, the China Remote Sensing Satellite Ground Station has built a network of satellite receiving stations in Kashgar, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region; Sanya, South China's Hainan province; Lijiang, Southwest China's Yunnan province; and Mohe, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, covering the four basic directions.

Real-time data transmission holds significant importance. For instance, in the case of environmental disaster monitoring satellites, such as forest fires, earthquakes, or oil spills, timely data allows relevant departments to make faster and more accurate assessments and decisions, allowing them to respond promptly and minimize the impact of disasters.

Shi Yudie and Gao Jiayue contributed to this story.