始于20世纪80年代的系列大型遥感试验开始系统研究地表物质和能量交换过程，对遥感与地球系统科学研究的结合起到重要作用，但是尚无综合利用多源遥感数据解决碳、水、能量循环问题的有效方案。遥感科学国家重点实验室于滦河上游地区组织开展基础性、多学科、多尺度的“碳、水循环和能量平衡遥感综合试验”。本次试验面向地球系统科学对遥感观测的最新要求，以遥感如何服务地—气过程研究为关键科学问题，开展星—机—地多尺度遥感综合观测和地面测量，论证中国自主设计的碳、水、能量相关卫星的技术指标，基于大场景真实结构模拟和多尺度综合观测构建虚拟遥感试验场，验证全波段遥感机理模型和复杂地表辐射传输机理。核心试验区位于地势较为平坦的闪电河流域和地形复杂的小滦河流域。闪电河流域主要地类为农田和草地，开展的试验以水循环和能量平衡遥感综合观测为主。小滦河流域主要地类为森林和草地，以碳循环遥感综合观测为主。两个试验区都开展了系统性的多架次飞行试验，并同步开展地面全波段、主被动协同观测。特别设计了一次长达165 km的大跨度飞行试验，横跨两个试验区，包含了地表类型和海拔高度的逐渐过渡。从2017年的预实验开始，整个试验为期5年。基于科学目标驱动、开放、协作、共享的原则，本次试验吸引了10个大型国家科研项目，4个卫星计划团队，19家单位200人次参加，是中国主导的又一次具有明确科学目标的大型多学科交叉遥感综合试验。

A series of large remote sensing experiments that began in the 1980s systematically studied the exchanges of matter and energy at the land surface, which played an important role in the integration of remote sensing and Earth system science. However, there are few effective solutions to comprehensively solve energy balance, carbon, and water cycles by using multi-source remote sensing data. The State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science organized a fundamental, multi-disciplinary, multi-scale “Comprehensive Remote Sensing Experiment of Carbon Cycle, Water Cycle and Energy Balance in Luan River Basin” in the upper stream of Luan River. This experiment is oriented to the newly challenging requirements of Earth system science for remote sensing, and it is aimed to the scientific issue that how remote sensing can improve the Earth-atmosphere processes modelling. During the experiment, the spaceborne, airborne and ground-based (multi-scale) remote sensing and ground measurements were carried out to demonstrate China’s self-designed satellite missions related to the carbon cycle, water cycle and energy balance. The experimental data would be used to verify the full-band remote sensing models and the complex surface radiative transfer mechanism based on the real structure simulation over large-scale scenes. The core experimental area includes a relatively flat Shandian River basin and a complex Xiaoluan River basin. The experiments conducted in the Shandian River basin are mainly focused on comprehensive remote sensing observations of water cycle and energy balance with the main land cover types of cropland and grassland. While the experiments in the Xiaoluan River basin are mainly aimed to comprehensive remote sensing observations of carbon cycle with the main land cover types of forest and grassland. Systematic multi-sort airborne experiments and simultaneously full-band, active and passive ground-based observations were carried out at both experimental areas. A 165 km long-span flight, which spans the two experimental areas, was specially designed to cover the gradual transition of land cover types and altitude. Starting from the preliminary experiment in 2017, the entire experiment will last for five years. This experiment is scientific goal-driven, open, collaborative, and shared, and attracted 10 national-level scientific research projects, four satellite mission project teams, and 200 participants from 19 research institutes/universities. It is a China’s self-led scientific research on remote sensing and Earth system science, and it would promote multidisciplinary collaboration to address science challenges in Earth system science.