China’s radar satellites capture sharp images of glacier collapse site in Nepal

Within hours of a devastating glacier collapse on the China-Nepal border, a Beijing-based satellite company had already redirected six of its satellites to survey the disaster zone.The high-resolution radar images they captured revealed a massive collapse site near a remote mountain pass.Unlike optical sensors, radar signals can pierce through haze and cloud, mapping terrain changes with high precision even in the rugged Himalayan plateau.Radar images captured by the Dongpo-15 satellite on August 27, showing (from top) the suspected mudslide gully, suspected collapse area and Gyirong Port, Tibet. Photo: Beijing Minospace TechnologyThe swift commercial response also underscores a broader trend: China’s space surveillance capabilities are rapidly expanding beyond military and government circles to private enterprises that can operate with greater flexibility and transparency.The disaster struck on Wednesday, when a large section of glacier on the Nepal side broke away – triggering a massive rock and ice avalanche that unleashed deadly flash floods downhill.Dongpo-19 satellite radar images of Gyirong town (top) and Gyirong Port, captured on August 27. Photo: Beijing Minospace TechnologyThe surge devastated communities along the China-Nepal border and beyond, leaving more than 400 people dead and over a thousand missing across both nations. It also caused severe damage to the Gyirong Port border checkpoint in Shigatse, in China’s western Tibet region.