Science
YUNHAI-1 01
Chinese Meteorological Satellite (Assessed Military) · SAST / Chinese Military (Assessed)
Right now
LiveIt moves every second. See exactly where it is — worked out from its orbit, on your own device — on the live 3D globe.
- Over
- —
- Altitude
- —
- Speed
- —
The first satellite in China's Yunhai-1 ('Cloud Sea') series, launched November 2016 into a 485-mile sun-synchronous orbit. Chinese state media describes Yunhai-1 satellites as providing atmospheric, marine, and space environment detection alongside disaster prevention services — but Western analysts assess the series as military meteorological satellites, given the program's PLA sponsorship and its close resemblance to defense weather satellite designs elsewhere. Weather data has always had dual-use military value: an accurate forecast determines whether a missile launch window, an amphibious landing, or a reconnaissance flight proceeds.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 488–491 mi (785–791 km)
- Inclination
- 98.6°
- One orbit
- 100.5 minutes14.3 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 41857
- Int’l designator
- 2016-068A
- Launched
- 2016
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 23 Sep 2026.
More science
- YUNHAI-1 02Chinese Meteorological Satellite (Survived Debris Collision)
- YUNHAI-1 03Chinese Meteorological Satellite (Assessed Military)
- YUNHAI-1 04Chinese Meteorological Satellite (Assessed Military)
- YUNHAI-2 01AChinese GNSS Radio Occultation Weather Satellite
- YUNHAI-2 01BChinese GNSS Radio Occultation Weather Satellite
- YUNHAI-2 01CChinese GNSS Radio Occultation Weather Satellite