China's Gaofen-7 Earth observation satellite completed its first laser altimeter on-orbit calibration test on June 15, at the National Laser Altimeter Calibration Field in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia.

The successful test means that the Gaofen-7 satellite can provide more accurate elevation data to the natural resources, agriculture, housing and urban-rural development industries, as well as statistics compilation.

The Hulunbuir calibration field was established in 2018 by the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the China Centre for Resources Satellite Data and Application at the Hulunbuir Grassland Ecosystem National Field Test Station.

It conducts multi-satellite SAR calibration, altimetry laser radar calibration, and atmospheric aerosol multi-angle calibration, providing support for the quantitative application of remote sensing satellites.

The China Academy of Space Technology, Wuhan University, the Aerospace Information Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Heilongjiang (Province) Bureau of Surveying and Mapping of Geographic Information, and the Bureau of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Science and Technology in Chen Barga bBanner, Hulunbuir, participated in the calibration experiment.