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CLASSIFIED

YAOGAN-36 01A

Chinese Military SAR Imaging (Assessed Triplet Constellation) · CASC / PLA

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Lead satellite of the first Yaogan-36 formation, launched 2022 as a companion program to the roughly contemporaneous Yaogan-35 satellite family. Analysts assess Yaogan-36 groups as providing synthetic aperture radar imaging for high-resolution military reconnaissance — complementing whatever sensor combination the parallel Yaogan-35 program carries — giving China all-weather, day-night imaging capability alongside its established naval ELINT surveillance architecture.

Its orbit

Orbit
Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
Altitude
310–313 mi (498–504 km)
Inclination
35.0°
One orbit
94.5 minutes15.2 orbits a day
NORAD ID
53943
Int’l designator
2022-120A
Launched
2022

Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.

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