According to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the aircraft represents a major advancement in large and medium-sized remote sensing technology, featuring long-range capabilities, multitasking functions, and multiple observation windows. It fills a gap in China's capacity to perform these operations.
The aircraft recently took part in a remote sensing experiment in North China's Luanhe River basin, focusing on the soil-vegetation-atmosphere moisture continuum. This experiment has offered advanced technical support for ecological conservation and sustainable development, AVIC reported.
The research was carried out by a collaborative team from various institutions, including the National Space Science Center and the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
As part of China's aeronautic remote sensing system, the MA60 allows researchers to monitor moisture levels in vegetation and soil by observing forests, farmlands, and grasslands from the air.
Jointly developed by the CAS and AVIC, the MA60 remote sensing aircraft was manufactured by AVIC XAC Commercial Aircraft Co., Ltd. in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. It serves as a high-performance aerial remote sensing platform, making it China's most advanced aerial scientific experiment platform.
"The MA60 remote sensing aircraft and the onboard aerial remote sensing system together make up the Chinese Aeronautic Remote Sensing System, which has the most comprehensive capabilities in China in this field," said Ding Yaxiu, chief designer of the MA60 remote sensing aircraft.
Based on the MA60 regional aircraft, this remote sensing variant includes enhanced performance and additional systems for scientific research purposes.
The MA60 can be equipped with a wide range of advanced equipment and systems. "Thus, it can meet mission demands such data collection, recording, processing and transmission," Ding explained.
The aircraft supports scientific research in fields such as agriculture, forestry, geology, mineral exploration, hydrology, environmental monitoring, disaster response, and land mapping.
"The MA60 remote sensing aircraft is the aerial platform of the Chinese Aeronautic Remote Sensing System, thanks to its considerable airborne capacity. For Earth observation tasks, it has 18 windows consisting of 7 different types, which allow the use of related payloads," said Zhu Jinbiao, deputy director of the Airborne Remote Sensing Center under the AIR.
Compared to satellite-based remote sensing, using aircraft provides greater flexibility in terms of scheduling observations and selecting mission locations. Zhu also noted the aircraft's mobility, high resolution, and adaptable load configurations as key advantages.
"This aircraft plays an increasingly important role in major national tasks such as scientific research, as well as emergency rescue and disaster reduction efforts," he added.
Currently, two MA60 remote sensing aircraft are in operation, achieving significant success in areas such as agriculture, disaster relief, and research on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.
In 2023, the MA60 aircraft carried out 15 national missions, including ecological monitoring of the Yellow River Delta, protection of world heritage sites, and the collection of high-precision images using the BeiDou spatio-temporal benchmark.
These aircraft have been widely used in research on the ecological environment, natural resources, and land mapping, according to Zhu.
Looking ahead, Zhu emphasized that the MA60 remote sensing aircraft will continue to support scientific exploration and help build an aerial remote sensing system for China's major national projects.
Based on a Xinhua News Agency article
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