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BEIDOU-3 M12
Chinese Navigation Satellite (BeiDou-3) · CNSA / China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
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BeiDou-3 M12, launched in 2018, is part of the historically dense final stretch of BeiDou-3 satellite launches. China's decision to build BeiDou-3 with three different orbital regimes — medium Earth orbit for global coverage, plus geostationary and inclined geosynchronous satellites specifically strengthening coverage over Asia-Pacific — gives the constellation notably stronger signal availability over China and neighboring countries than GPS provides in the same region.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Medium Earth Orbita high vantage point, ideal for navigation
- Altitude
- 13,366–13,397 mi (21,511–21,561 km)
- Inclination
- 54.2°
- One orbit
- 12.9 hours1.9 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 43602
- Int’l designator
- 2018-067A
- Launched
- 2018
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
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