After 18 months of eye-in-the-sky secrecy, Chinese scientists have revealed the revolutionary technology behind the world’s first geosynchronous orbit synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite, giving China a permanent view of one-third of the Earth’s surface.
Ludi Tance 4-01 – or Ludi – which was launched in August 2023, is the highest flying surveillance satellite ever launched. It continuously monitors the Asia-Pacific region from an altitude of 36,000km (22,370 miles), far above US remote-sensing radar satellites that are positioned in low Earth orbit, according to the project team, led by senior engineer Ni Chong, with the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).
