GaoFen-7

GaoFen-7 is specifically designed for high-resolution stereo mapping and topographic surveying, filling a specialized role within China's broader Cheos (China High-resolution Earth Observation System) program. While other GaoFen satellites focus on general imaging, GaoFen-7 carries a dual-camera stereo mapping system that produces along-track stereo pairs for generating 3D terrain models. This makes it China's premier civilian satellite for precision topographic mapping.

GaoFen-7 was launched on November 3, 2019, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March 4B rocket. It joined the growing GaoFen series of satellites comprising China's high-resolution Earth observation constellation. The satellite was placed into a sun-synchronous orbit at approximately 490 kilometers altitude.

GaoFen-7 provides panchromatic imagery at sub-meter resolution, reportedly around 0.65 meters, with multispectral resolution of approximately 2.6 meters. Its stereo mapping cameras can generate digital elevation models with vertical accuracy reportedly better than 1 meter. This level of precision is suitable for 1:10,000 scale topographic mapping.

The Cheos (China High-resolution Earth Observation System) program is a national Chinese initiative to develop a comprehensive Earth observation capability spanning optical, radar, and hyperspectral satellites with varying resolutions and applications. The GaoFen series, numbered sequentially, constitutes the space-based component of Cheos. GaoFen-7 fills the specific role of high-precision stereo mapping within this constellation.