CLASSIFIED
YAOGAN-17 01A
Chinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (JB-8 Triplet) · CASC / PLA
Right now
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Lead satellite of the Yaogan-17 triplet, launched August 2013 as the third generation of China's naval ELINT surveillance formation. Yaogan-17 joined Yaogan-9 and Yaogan-16 in orbit simultaneously, meaning that by 2013 China operated three complete ELINT triplets — nine satellites total — providing substantially more frequent revisit over Pacific naval operating areas than any single triplet alone.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 479–882 mi (770–1,419 km)
- Inclination
- 63.4°
- One orbit
- 107.0 minutes13.5 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 39239
- Int’l designator
- 2013-046A
- Launched
- 2013
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
More classified
- YAOGAN-17 01BChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (JB-8 Triplet)
- YAOGAN-17 01CChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (JB-8 Triplet)
- YAOGAN-19Chinese Military Reconnaissance
- YAOGAN-2Chinese Military Reconnaissance (Assessed Optical)
- YAOGAN-20 01AChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (JB-8 Triplet)
- YAOGAN-20 01BChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (JB-8 Triplet)