China’s Fengyun Satellite Pioneer Wins WMO’s Top Meteorological Honour

Accepting the honour, Professor Xu said the recognition belonged to everyone who contributed to the country’s meteorological satellite programme over the past fifty years.

Professor Xu Jianmin, one of the key figures behind China's Fengyun meteorological satellite programme, has received the Seventieth International Meteorological Organization (IMO) Prize, the highest scientific honour presented by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The award recognizes decades of work that helped transform China's weather satellite programme into a global resource for weather forecasting, climate monitoring and disaster management.

Accepting the honour, Professor Xu said the recognition belonged to everyone who contributed to the country's meteorological satellite programme over the past fifty years. He described himself as someone fortunate enough to take part in a journey that involved countless scientists, engineers and researchers working together to build a national capability that now serves people across the world.

During his prize lecture, titled Evolution of China's Feng Yun Meteorological Satellites, Professor Xu reflected on how the programme grew from an ambitious national project in the late 1960s into a modern satellite network that supports weather services in more than 130 countries and territories. The Fengyun constellation now plays an important role in weather prediction, climate studies and emergency response, with its data shared freely through international meteorological systems.

WMO President Dr Abdulla Al Mandous praised Professor Xu for introducing innovative satellite designs that strengthened global forecasting capabilities. He said the Fengyun satellites provide essential observations that fill important gaps in international climate and disaster monitoring networks. WMO Secretary-General Professor Celeste Saulo also commended Professor Xu, saying his work changed the way scientists observe the Earth from space and improved the quality of weather information available around the world.

The IMO Prize, established in 1955 and named after the International Meteorological Organization, the predecessor of WMO, is widely regarded as the highest distinction in meteorology and hydrology. It honours individuals whose scientific achievements and international cooperation have made a lasting impact on the field.

China's decision to develop its own meteorological satellites came after severe freezing rain and snow struck large parts of the country in 1969. Although cloud images from foreign satellites were available, China did not have access to the detailed observation data needed for accurate forecasting and operational weather analysis. The disruption caused by the disaster exposed the country's dependence on external sources and encouraged Premier Zhou Enlai to support the creation of a domestic satellite programme.

That effort resulted in the launch of Fengyun-1A in 1988, China's first domestically developed polar-orbiting weather satellite. Less than two hours after liftoff, the spacecraft transmitted its first visible-light cloud image back to Earth. Since then, China has launched 23 Fengyun satellites across two generations, with ten remaining operational today. Together they provide continuous observations from both polar and geostationary orbits for weather forecasting, climate services and environmental monitoring.

Professor Xu played a leading role in building the programme's operational infrastructure. After graduating from Nanjing Meteorological College in 1965, he joined the China Meteorological Administration's Meteorological Research Institute before moving into operational forecasting. His career later included two years as a visiting scientist at Colorado State University in the United States. He went on to become Deputy Director of China's National Meteorological Center and later Director-General of the National Satellite Meteorological Center, where he guided the development of satellite planning, ground systems, data processing and operational applications.

His contributions extended beyond satellite design. He helped reposition the Fengyun-2H geostationary satellite to 79 degrees east longitude, allowing it to provide weather observations over a previously under-served area of the Indian Ocean. He also promoted the development of Fengyun-3E, the world's first operational meteorological satellite placed in an early-morning orbit. The satellite strengthened global numerical weather prediction by supplying observations during a time period that had previously lacked sufficient coverage, leading to more accurate forecasts.

Today, Fengyun satellites produce around 90 different environmental products covering atmospheric conditions, oceans, land surfaces, snow and ice, vegetation, radiation, ecosystems and space weather. Their instruments monitor tropical cyclones, rainfall, wildfires, sand and dust storms, greenhouse gases, ozone levels and many other environmental indicators. The data also support measurements of sea surface temperatures, soil moisture, snow cover and vegetation health.

The information collected by the satellites has supported emergency response efforts for decades. Satellite observations helped authorities monitor a major forest fire in northeastern China in 1987 and assess widespread flooding affecting dozens of counties in 1991, allowing relief resources to be distributed more effectively. The system has also been used to monitor cyanobacteria outbreaks in Taihu Lake, providing valuable information for environmental protection and water quality management.

Professor Xu has consistently encouraged scientists to turn satellite observations into practical services that improve people's lives. Under his guidance, Fengyun data became an important component of China's forecasting systems while also supporting weather centres around the world through the WMO Integrated Global Observing System.

International cooperation has remained a central part of Professor Xu's work. He acknowledged that the success of the Fengyun programme depended on collaboration with the global meteorological community. He supported the translation of important scientific publications into Chinese, encouraged researchers to take part in international exchanges and helped train a new generation of meteorological satellite specialists who continue to lead the programme today.

Professor Saulo highlighted this commitment during the award ceremony, describing Professor Xu as someone who built not only satellite systems but also future generations of scientists. She said the greatest legacy any scientist can leave is the people they inspire and educate.

Professor Xu also announced that he would donate the entire IMO Prize award to establish the China Meteorological Administration's Multi-hazard Alert, Zero-gap and Universal (MAZU) Prize. The new award will recognize meteorological professionals whose work strengthens international cooperation, improves early warning systems and supports wider adoption of the MAZU initiative.

Looking ahead, Professor Xu said the Fengyun programme will continue expanding the accuracy and usefulness of satellite observations while embracing emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. He believes future developments will strengthen climate action, improve early warning services and provide even greater benefits to communities facing increasingly complex weather and environmental challenges.