Abstract: Optical remote sensing instruments including IR detection channels are always the major payloads of meteorological satellites. Radiant coolers are used for cooling the IR detectors and its aft optics to the desired temperatures, aboard on Chinese polar orbit meteorological satellites and geostationary orbit meteorological satellites. Depending on the requirements of optical instruments and satellites on the radiant coolers, the different style coolers such as W style, O style, L style, G style and octahedron-cone style in the past 30 years were studied, and the flight performance of the radiant coolers on FY-1A to FY-1D, FY-3A/ 3B, FY-2A to FY-2E meteorological satellites were presented. The lowest temperature of radiant cooler on FY-3 satellite was about 85 K and had 120 mW at 100 K. The concerned technologies needed for long-life operational meteorological satellites were discussed and its application results were also given. The possible application of passive cooling technology in future was discussed.