JiLin-1 Commercial EO Constellation
Changguang Satellite (CGST)
Changguang Satellite's JiLin-1 — China's largest private commercial Earth observation constellation with 100+ optical satellites providing sub-1-meter imagery and video.
Technical specifications
- Constellation Size
- 100+ satellites
- Best Resolution
- 0.75 m (PAN), 3 m (multispectral)
- Video
- 4K video Earth observation
- Orbit
- SSO at 500–535 km
- Revisit
- Sub-daily over China and major global cities
- HQ
- Changchun, Jilin Province, China (CIOMP spin-out)
- Status
- China's largest private commercial EO constellation
About
JiLin-1 (吉林一号) is Changguang Satellite Technology (CGST)’s commercial Earth observation constellation — China’s largest and most productive commercial EO system with over 100 satellites in orbit as of 2024. The constellation provides sub-1-meter resolution optical imagery, 0.75 m resolution imagery from newer satellites, and video Earth observation at 4K resolution from sun-synchronous orbits at 500–535 km altitude.
The JiLin-1 constellation includes multiple satellite generations: the original JiLin-1 GF (Gaofen high-resolution) series (0.75 m PAN, 4-band MS), JiLin-1 MF series (multi-frame video), and newer smaller satellites that reduce manufacturing cost while maintaining imaging quality. CGST targets daily revisit over China and major global cities for key customers in agriculture, forestry, urban planning, maritime, and emergency response.
Changguang Satellite Technology is headquartered in Changchun, Jilin Province, China (the city’s name is the origin of the ‘JiLin’ constellation branding) — home to Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP), China’s premier optics research center, which spun out CGST. The company is China’s first commercial remote sensing company and its largest by number of satellites. Commercial imagery services are marketed internationally through partnerships.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.