CLASSIFIED

YAOGAN-51 OBJECT A

Chinese Military Satellite (Yaogan-51) · CASC / PLA

One of three satellites, Yaogan-51 07, 08 and 09, that a Long March 2C launched together from Xichang just before midnight Beijing time on November 5, 2026. Trackers haven't yet worked out which is which, so the catalog still calls them Objects A, B and C. China's official description is the one it gives for many Yaogan launches: 'scientific experiments and electromagnetic environment detection.' Western analysts generally read Yaogan satellites launched three at a time as signals-intelligence formations. Flying in a tight group, they listen for radar and radio transmissions, especially from ships, and work out where each one came from by comparing exactly when each satellite heard it. The three circle about 320 miles up in an orbit tilted 45°.