Polar remote sensing in China: advances, integrated observation systems, and future perspectives

Polar environmental changes affect the surface energy balance, ocean circulation, and global sea level. Constrained by extreme environmental conditions and logistical challenges, traditional in situ observations exhibit limitations in spatial coverage and temporal continuity. Remote sensing supports polar environmental research by providing repeated observations over large areas. Over the past four decades, China’s polar remote sensing research has transitioned from early reliance on foreign satellite datasets to the establishment of an independent and increasingly comprehensive observation system. This paper traces the development of China’s polar remote sensing technologies, reviews the initial establishment of research frameworks, and summarizes the evolution and applications of domestically developed satellite systems, crewed airborne systems, and unmanned aerial vehicle platforms. Recent integrated observation campaigns based on domestic icebreakers are further examined, focusing on the combination of satellite, airborne, ice-based, and underwater measurements for sea-ice mapping and remote sensing validation. This review also identifies limitations in observational coverage, measurement accuracy, and multi-platform data integration, and discusses future directions in dedicated polar satellite observations, long-endurance autonomous airborne platforms, multi-source retrieval, data assimilation, and operational services.