Orbital Traffic All objects

Science

CHUANGXIN-3 (CX-3)

Chinese Technology Demonstrator · Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

Right now

It moves every second. See exactly where it is — worked out from its orbit, on your own device — on the live 3D globe.

Watch it live on the 3D globe

A distinct Chuangxin-series satellite launched in 2013, separate from the CX-1 numbered sub-series, testing new microsatellite platform technologies for the Chinese Academy of Sciences. CX-3 represents the branching diversification of China's small-satellite technology programs during the early 2010s, as multiple institutes and academies began fielding their own experimental platforms in parallel — the diffuse, decentralized early phase of what would become China's enormous and centrally coordinated commercial space sector by the 2020s.

Its orbit

Orbit
Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
Altitude
402–406 mi (647–653 km)
Inclination
98.1°
One orbit
97.6 minutes14.8 orbits a day
NORAD ID
39209
Int’l designator
2013-037B
Launched
2013

Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.

More science