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Auspicious Star News | Urgently allocate satellite resources to image Dingri County, Xizang, and assist in disaster assessment
2025-01-10
Suzhou No.1 Satellite (Jitian Star A-03) and Jilin University No.1 Satellite (Jitian Star A-01) are the first generation optical remote sensing satellites of Jitian Xingzhou's independently developed optical remote sensing experimental constellation. The satellite is equipped with an independently developed "high timeliness, high geometry, high spectrum" optical camera, which has conventional and dynamic imaging capabilities. The ground panchromatic and hyperspectral resolution is 3m, and the width is 15km.
According to the official measurement of China Earthquake Networks Center, at 9:05 on January 7, 2025, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurred in Dingri County, Shigatse City, Xizang, with the focal depth of 10km and the epicenter at 28.50 degrees north latitude and 87.45 degrees east longitude. The epicenter was located about 38km away from the main urban area of Dingri County. After the earthquake, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attached great importance to it and issued important instructions emphasizing the full implementation of personnel search and rescue, minimizing casualties, properly resettling affected people, and ensuring safe and warm winter. The relevant departments quickly launched rescue and post disaster assessment work.
After the earthquake, Jitian Xingzhou Company quickly conducted high-resolution imaging of Dingri County by urgently dispatching satellite resources of Jitian constellation, and provided the image data to relevant departments in the first time. This measure not only reflects the active responsibility of technology enterprises in social responsibility, but also provides important technical support for post disaster emergency assessment and decision-making, demonstrating the key role of technological power in sudden disasters.
By comparing the historical images of Jitian Star with the images taken by Jitian Star A-03 at 15:51 on January 8th, preliminary assessment shows that the buildings in the urban area of Dingri County near the epicenter are mostly reinforced concrete structures, which have poor seismic resistance compared to the adobe buildings in the disaster area. The more sturdy building form helped the urban area of Dingri County maintain good seismic performance in this 6.8 magnitude earthquake, without obvious building damage, and the buildings and natural landscapes in the surrounding areas remained intact.
However, in the county's Zaxizong Township and Zhaguo Township, imaging shows that buildings such as the factory area may have suffered damage, especially the adobe houses, which were severely damaged in this earthquake and collapsed to varying degrees. Based on these data, relevant departments can conduct more accurate post disaster assessments, providing strong basis for subsequent recovery and reconstruction work.
Figure 1 Optical satellite images before and after the earthquake in and around Dingri County, Shigatse City, Xizang
The following is a comparison of images before and after the collapse of houses or buildings suspected to have been affected by the earthquake:
Figure 2 Optical satellite images before and after the earthquake in Zhaxizong Township, Dingri County, Shigatse City, Xizang
Figure 3 Optical satellite images before and after the earthquake in Zhaxizong Township (local), Dingri County, Shigatse City, Xizang
Figure 4 Optical satellite images before and after the earthquake in Zhaguo Township, Dingri County, Shigatse City, Xizang
Figure 5 Optical satellite images before and after the earthquake in Zhaguo Township (local), Dingri County, Shigatse City, Xizang
In order to have a more comprehensive understanding of the post disaster situation, Jitian Xingzhou will continue to dispatch satellite resources to provide all-round image coverage for the epicenter township and surrounding areas. It is expected that through subsequent satellite imaging, more detailed post disaster data can be captured, especially the potential impact on infrastructure and the natural environment. By continuously obtaining high-precision image data, relevant departments will be able to conduct more in-depth post disaster assessments and decisions, helping to better guide reconstruction and recovery work.
Company Profile
As the first commercial aerospace company in China that mainly provides optical payloads in bulk, Jitian Xingzhou has a complete system for research and development, design, production, and testing of space optical remote sensing payloads. It can provide various high, medium, low resolution, and wide range optical cameras, micro nano star sensors, and high-precision optical tracking turntables for the commercial aerospace market, with significant characteristics such as "mass production, engineering, and low cost"; At the same time, based on the independent intellectual property rights of "high timeliness, high geometry, and high spectrum" imaging technology, we will build optical payload technology and product systems that meet the application needs of various fields, carry out experimental constellation construction and data application services, and strive to become a leading enterprise in commercial aerospace optical payloads in China and a globally leading provider of aerospace optical payload products, helping accelerate the development of commercial aerospace.