China’s first satellite dedicated to comprehensive monitoring of the atmospheric environment, named Daqi-1, also known as Atmospheric Environment Monitoring Satellite (AEMS) and developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) in Shanghai, is designed to operate in sun-synchronous orbit. Daqi-1 can monitor fine particle pollution like PM2.5, pollutant gases including nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone, as well as carbon dioxide concentration.

It combines both passive and active sensing, which can realize comprehensive monitoring of the atmospheric environment in a better way, according to a chief designer with SAST. The detection accuracy of fine particles and carbon dioxide column concentration by Daqi-1 has reached the international advanced level, the chief designer said. The atmospheric detection lidar deployed on the satellite is also the world's first that is capable of detecting both atmospheric aerosols and carbon dioxide.