The CBERS (China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite) or ZY 1 (Zi Yuan) satellites are designed for global coverage and include cameras to make optical observations and a data collecting system to gather data on the environment. They are unique systems due to the use of on-board sensors which combine features that are especially designed to resolve the broad range of space and time scales involved in the monitoring and preservation of the ecosystem. They are operated jointly by the China Centre for Resources Satellite Data and Application (CRESDA) and the Brazilian INPE (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, National Institute of Space Research).