Chang Guang, a Chinese commercial aerospace company, recently shared a short video claiming that a satellite is tracking an American F-22 Raptor fighter jet. According to Clash Report on
However, the video is surprisingly short: just six seconds of the satellite system’s cameras tracking the plane. Chang Guang identified the plane as the American F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet, which navigated through partly cloudy skies. This leaves us with several questions: Is it really an F-22? Has the video been edited? Was the Jilin-1 satellite system actually used for this tracking? And the most curious thing: why release only six seconds?
Observing the F-22 via video footage is not unusual. Stealth technology makes the F-22 nearly invisible to radar, but not to the naked eye. If the satellite can continuously monitor a flight for longer than these six seconds, it highlights a formidable future combat capability. While radars on the ground could miss the plane’s signature, satellites could potentially pick it up, as suggested by the video.
Satellites and radars together
If reports are confirmed that Chinese satellites tracked an F-22 flight, it will spark a major discussion about combat capabilities. Let’s clear up a common misconception: stealth aircraft are not completely invisible to radars.
The correct terminology here is “low observability.” This means that the aircraft is more difficult to detect, but not impossible. For example, the F-22 has a radar signature similar to a small metal pebble, which translates to a radar cross-section of approximately 0.0001 m². [RCS]. For context, that’s about 100,000 times smaller than a typical fighter jet’s RCS, making the F-22 detectable at just 1/17.5 the distance a standard fighter would be. However, keep in mind that this detection ability varies considerably depending on the angle from which the aircraft is viewed.
So while the radar signature is minimal, it is still present. This means that tracking a known stealth aircraft is entirely possible. Therefore, news of satellites tracking stealth flight suggests that orbital technology could be linked directly to ground stations. This approach allows radars to focus on a specific sector, range or angle to identify the exact signature of the stealth aircraft.
This scenario assumes optimal conditions, that is: a “clear sky,” where the radar and satellite hunt for a specific target without interference. However, in a war zone full of missiles, planes and drones, the situation becomes much more complex, especially in the heart of the battle.
The remote control Jilin-1
China’s Jilin-1 satellite system is a constellation of commercial remote sensing satellites developed by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. [CGSTL]. Named after Jilin province, where the company is located, it represents China’s first self-developed commercial satellite remote sensing system.
The primary purpose of the Jilin-1 satellite system is to provide high-resolution images and video for a variety of applications, including environmental monitoring, urban planning, agriculture, forestry, resource management and disaster relief. The system is intended to provide timely and accurate data to support both government and commercial needs.
The Jilin-1 constellation consists of multiple types of satellites, including optical imaging satellites, video satellites and hyperspectral satellites. These diverse satellite types allow the system to capture a wide range of data, from high-definition video to detailed spectral information, which can be used for various analytical purposes.
One of the key features of the Jilin-1 satellite system is its high repetition rate. The constellation is designed to provide frequent updates of the same geographic area, which is crucial for applications that require near real-time monitoring, such as disaster management and dynamic urban development.
The Jilin-1 satellites are equipped with advanced imaging technologies that allow them to capture high-resolution images with a ground resolution of up to 0.72 meters. This high level of detail makes the system particularly valuable for tasks that require precise and precise spatial information.
Since its first launch in 2015, the Jilin-1 satellite system has expanded significantly. As of recent updates, the constellation includes dozens of satellites, with plans for further expansion to increase its coverage and capabilities.
AI
Interestingly, images from 2020 have revealed insights from Chinese engineers even at the time. China is reportedly working on an advanced AI system that could transform cheap commercial satellites in orbit into powerful spy tools. Some reports indicate that this system could improve conversion rates as much as seven times compared to current technology.
This advanced system is being developed by researchers in the Chinese military, who claim it can track moving objects as small as a car with remarkable precision, according to Chinese media. The team claims that their new AI technology has achieved 95% accuracy in identifying small objects in videos taken by the Jilin-1 satellite, significantly surpassing existing methods. Lin Kunbao, a researcher at the People’s Liberation Army University of Space Engineering in Beijing, and his team put forward these impressive claims.
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