CLASSIFIED
YAOGAN-2
Chinese Military Reconnaissance (Assessed Optical) · CASC / PLA
Right now
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Yaogan-2, an early Chinese remote sensing satellite launched in 2007, part of the JB-6 (Jianbing-6) optical reconnaissance family that also includes Yaogan-4, 7, 11, 24, and 30. Officially described as a civilian remote sensing satellite complementing the SAR-equipped Yaogan-1, Yaogan-2 is widely assessed by Western analysts as a military optical reconnaissance satellite — part of China's decade-long build-out of independent space-based intelligence gathering capability that began in the mid-2000s.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 380–397 mi (611–639 km)
- Inclination
- 98.2°
- One orbit
- 97.1 minutes14.8 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 31490
- Int’l designator
- 2007-019A
- Launched
- 2007
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
More classified
- YAOGAN-20 01AChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (JB-8 Triplet)
- YAOGAN-20 01BChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (JB-8 Triplet)
- YAOGAN-20 01CChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (JB-8 Triplet)
- YAOGAN-21Earth Observation (Dual-Use)
- YAOGAN-22Earth Observation (Dual-Use)
- YAOGAN-24Earth Observation (Dual-Use)