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Geostationary

BEIDOU-3S IGSO-1S

Navigation Technology Test · CNSA / China

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A pre-production BeiDou-3 IGSO satellite used to test the next-generation BeiDou navigation signals before full deployment. The 3S satellites validated the new signal structures, on-board atomic clocks, and cross-link communication technologies that form BeiDou-3's core improvements. Satellite navigation signal design must balance signal power, bandwidth, and spectral compatibility with GPS and Galileo to avoid interference — these test satellites helped China optimize that balance.

Its orbit

Orbit
Geostationaryappears to hang motionless over one spot on the equator
Altitude
22,136–22,341 mi (35,625–35,954 km)
Inclination
49.0°
One orbit
23.9 hoursabout one orbit a day
NORAD ID
40549
Int’l designator
2015-019A
Launched
2015

Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.

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