CLASSIFIED
YAOGAN-32 A
Chinese Military Satellite (Assessed SAR Pair) · CASC / PLA
Right now
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Lead satellite of the first Yaogan-32 pair, launched January 2019 into a 98.15° sun-synchronous orbit distinct from the naval ELINT triplets' orbital regime. Yaogan-32's two-satellite formation, rather than the three-satellite groupings typical of ELINT triangulation missions, suggests a different sensing role — potentially synthetic aperture radar interferometry, similar to the paired-satellite technique used by Germany's TanDEM-X/TerraSAR-X for precision elevation mapping.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 426–427 mi (686–688 km)
- Inclination
- 98.1°
- One orbit
- 98.3 minutes14.6 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 43642
- Int’l designator
- 2018-077A
- Launched
- 2018
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
More classified
- YAOGAN-32 BChinese Military Satellite (Assessed SAR Pair)
- YAOGAN-33 01Chinese Military Reconnaissance
- YAOGAN-33 02Chinese Military SAR Reconnaissance
- YAOGAN-33 03Chinese Military SAR Reconnaissance
- YAOGAN-33 04Chinese Military SAR Reconnaissance
- YAOGAN-34 01Chinese Military Reconnaissance (Assessed ELINT)