Flying in a low orbit about 500 kilometers above the ground, four Hainan 1-series optical Earth-observation satellites have been on duty for nearly two months. They are the first phase of the Hainan Satellite Constellation Project, and have already returned a large amount of remote sensing data to the Sanya Ground Station.

"This data is freely available to colleges and universities in Hainan, promoting the development of Hainan aerospace information professionals and the big data satellite industry," explained Yang Tianliang, Chief Designer of the Hainan Earth-Observation Satellite Constellation System.

In 2021, Hainan's spending on science and technology reached CNY 4 billion, a year-on-year increase of 13.5%. The budget for early 2022 allocates CNY 4.9 billion, an increase of 21.3% over 2021. In 2023, the province's investment in science and technology is expected to continue to expand, reaching CNY 5 to 6 billion.

According to the Department of Finance of Hainan Province, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), Hainan Province regards science and technology investment as the main focus for public financial expenditure and will continue to increase policy support and financial guarantees. Since 2020, Hainan has invested more than CNY 20 billion through public budgets, government bonds, and other funds to support major technological innovations on land, sea, and air.

By continuously optimizing the province’s financial input and expenditure structures, Hainan Province has not only made great strides in terms of capital supply but also in policy support, which has made Hainan into a new high ground for scientific and technological innovation.

In terms of Hainan’s technological innovations on "land", with Nanfan Science and Technology City leading the way, the Nanfan Base has made a great number of achievements in institutional innovation and scientific research. In addition, the Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Technology Innovation Center was founded in Sanya, becoming one of the 19 national technology innovation centers.

In the area of the "sea", China's new manned submersible Fendouzhe, or "Striver", set a national diving record of 10,909 meters in the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench in 2020, the deepest known point of Earth's oceans. Many marine enterprises have opened in Hainan, and a marine industrial research and development ecosystem and integrated marine industry have begun to form.

For the field of "air", the launch of the Hainan 1-series satellites, the development of the Aerospace Technology Innovation Research Institute, and the province’s many new scientific platforms have accelerated the development of important technological innovations in many areas, including rockets, satellites, and data.

"In the future, I hope that the government will formulate more specific support policies for the satellite data application industry, especially to provide stronger guarantees in the main direction for the industry, such as satellite development and satellite measurement and control infrastructure, to enable satellite-related projects," said Yang Tianliang.