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Jitian Vision: The Ecological Pulse of the Ussuri River and the Rebirth of Black Soil
2025-05-28
The Beijing Suzhou-1 satellite (Jitianxing A-03) and the Jilin University-1 satellite (Jitianxing A-01) are the first two satellites in the next-generation optical remote sensing constellation independently developed by Jitianxingzhou. Equipped with independently developed optical cameras featuring high time efficiency, high geometry, and high spectral performance, the satellites offer both conventional and in-motion imaging capabilities, with a ground-level panchromatic, multispectral, and hyperspectral resolution of 3 meters and a swath width of 15 kilometers.
The Ussuri River (Manchu for "Eastern River"), the boundary river between China and Russia, is 909 kilometers long and drains an area of 187,000 square kilometers. Its unique "three mountain ranges sandwiched between two basins" (the Wanda Mountains and the Sikhote-Sukhot Mountains enclose the Sanjiang Plain and the Khanka Lake Plain) bear witness to the epic collision between the Pacific and Eurasian plates over the past 250 million years. The sharp bends of its 34 tributaries represent a "microscopic battlefield" of plate compression and water erosion, with each river bend a concrete expression of geological dynamics.
The Sanjiang Plain, nestled along the Yangtze River, is the core of China's most fertile black soil belt. Its black soil layer reaches 30-100 centimeters thick, with an organic matter content of 5-10% (10 times that of ordinary soil). This once supported an annual grain output exceeding 20 million tons in Northeast China (accounting for a quarter of China's total commercial grain production), earning it the nickname "Northern Granary." However, large-scale reclamation since the 1950s has drastically reduced the area of wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain from 53,400 square kilometers to 19,300 square kilometers. The topsoil is eroding at an average annual rate of 0.3-1 centimeters, leaving the topsoil less than 20 centimeters thick in some areas. This decline in fertility has led to a slowdown in grain yield growth.
Since 2014, the "Returning Farmland to Wetlands" project has been gradually implemented. By 2023, over 800 square kilometers of land had been returned to wetlands through the conversion of farmland to lakes and vegetation restoration. This represents an area equivalent to 112,000 football fields. Furthermore, the protection of black soil has been incorporated into national strategies, and the promotion of technologies such as returning straw to fields and crop rotation and fallow have resulted in an average annual increase of 0.5 centimeters in tillage layer thickness and a 1.2% increase in soil organic matter content. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has designated the Sanjiang Plain Wetlands as a Wetland of International Importance, promoting joint cross-border monitoring between China and Russia to jointly protect this "Kidney of East Asia."
Going forward, the Jitian Shuangsa satellites will continue to conduct high-frequency dynamic observations of the Ussuri River Basin and other key waterways, providing long-term data support for ecological protection and sustainable agricultural development.
The Jitian Xingzhou satellite will further explore the application potential of remote sensing data in precision agriculture, disaster warning, ecological protection, and environmental governance, promoting the deep integration of remote sensing data with various systems.
The Jitian Shuangsa satellites have already captured 100,000 precious images, but we understand this is just the beginning. The future of aerospace technology lies in deep integration with various industries. We look forward to collaborating with partners in agriculture, environmental protection, transportation, and other fields to identify innovative solutions for data applications. With data as the foundation and innovation as the driving force, we will jointly explore the unlimited potential of aerospace technology in real-world scenarios!
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