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BEIDOU-3 M15

Chinese Navigation Satellite (BeiDou-3) · CNSA / China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

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BeiDou-3 M15, launched alongside BeiDou-3 M16 in 2018, continues China's rapid constellation completion. By this point BeiDou had already begun appearing as a standard feature in international commercial GNSS chipsets, not just Chinese domestic hardware — genuine evidence that BeiDou had moved from a purely national sovereignty project into a globally recognized navigation utility. By the time satellites like this one reached orbit, BeiDou had already begun quietly appearing as a standard option in international GNSS chipsets manufactured outside China, evidence the system had moved beyond a purely domestic sovereignty project.

Its orbit

Orbit
Medium Earth Orbita high vantage point, ideal for navigation
Altitude
13,377–13,386 mi (21,528–21,543 km)
Inclination
54.0°
One orbit
12.9 hours1.9 orbits a day
NORAD ID
43648
Int’l designator
2018-078B
Launched
2018

Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.

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