Gaofen 6

Long name	GF6
Short name	GF6
Sensor type	Electro-optical
Platform	GF6
Key file name (use to open dataset)	GF6_PMS_.xml GF6_WFV_.xml
Supported file name extensions	.xml. .tiff, .rpb, .jpg
Sections	Data product name and description Distribution disk files Returned data for supported format References

Data product name and description

Gaofen 6 (GF6) is a geostationary, Earth-observation satellite in the Gaofen series of Chinese civilian remote-sensing satellites. It was launched successfully on June 2, 2018.

Consisting of multispectrum and synthetic-aperture-radar imagers, GF6 is used mainly in precision observation of agriculture, forestry-resource surveying, and other industries. The satellite is similar to the Gaofen-1 satellite launched in 2013, but with upgraded capabilities, including a 2-meter resolution panchromatic camera, an 8-meter multispectral imager, and a 16-meter multispectral wide-angle colour camera. GF6 can observe chlorophyll and other nutritional content of crops, and help to estimate crop yields.

Note: The information provided herein is based on the data distributor's documentation cited under References.

GF6 data is available in the following processing levels:

Processing level	Horizontal accuracy (m)	Description/notes
PMS	N/A	N/A
WFV	N/A	N/A

Spectral bands: Spectral range (nm)	Spatial resolution (m)* (spectral resolution)	Maximum image dimensions (across track x along track, km)	Swath width (km)	Notes
PMS PAN (panchromatic): 450 - 900 MS1 (multispectral, blue): 450 - 520 MS2 (multispectral, green): 520 - 600 MS3 (multispectral, red): 630 - 690 MS4 (multispectral, near infrared): 760 - 900	2 8	N/A	90	N/A
WFV MS1 (multispectral, blue): 450 - 520 MS2 (multispectral, green): 520 - 590 MS3 (multispectral, red): 630 - 690 MS4 (multispectral, near infrared): 770 - 890 MS5 (multispectral, infrared 1): 690 - 730 MS6 (multispectral, infrared 2): 730 - 770 MS7 (multispectral, violet): 400 - 450 MS8 (multispectral, yellow): 590 - 630	16	N/A	800	N/A

* Resolution is always nadir position unless noted otherwise.

Distribution disk files

A GF6 data set is organized in a specific folder structure on disk. GDB uses this folder structure and the file names to identify the data product type.

Warning: Data sets for this sensor are organized in a specific folder structure on disk. GDB uses this structure and the file names to identify the data product type. Do not alter the folder structure or any file names prior to data ingestion to ensure the image data and auxiliary information are imported correctly.

You can open a GF6 data set by selecting one of the following files according to the processing level:

PMS: GF6_*-MUL.xml or GF6_*-PAN.xml
WFV: GF6_*.xml

When opening a data set, the files read by GDB are as described in the following table.

File name	Format	Required	Contents/details
GF6_PMS_.xml GF6_WFV_.xml	Extnesible Markup Language	Yes	Key file name, contains data-set metadata
*.tiff	GeoTIFF	Yes	Image data
*.rpb	Text	Yes	RPC data
*_thumb.jpg	Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)	No	Image thumbnail

Returned data for supported format

GF6 data can be opened directly in its raw vendor format or imported into a PCIDSK (*.pix) file using the key file name (GF6_PMS_*.xml, GF6_WFV_*.xml, or both). For optimal processing, use the PCIDSK format.

The following table describes the data structure after it is opened by GDB.

Data product	Data returned	Details
PMS	1 x [16U] raster channel (PAN) - or - 4 x [16U] raster channels (MS) 1 x [TEX] product annotation 1 x [ORB] orbit segment 1 x [BIN] binary segment	Binary segment is RPC data.
WFV	8 x [16U] raster channels 1 x [TEX] product annotation 1 x [ORB] orbit segment 1 x [BIN] binary segment	Binary segment is RPC data.

References

For more information, visit: www.cnsa.gov.cn