CLASSIFIED
YAOGAN-36 04A
Chinese Military SAR Imaging (Assessed Triplet Constellation) · CASC / PLA
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
- —
Lead satellite of the fourth Yaogan-36 imaging triplet, launched late 2022. The Yaogan-36 series represents a distinct capability from the ELINT-focused Yaogan-30 series — analysts assess Yaogan-36 as a synthetic aperture radar imaging constellation for high-resolution military reconnaissance, providing all-weather, day-night imagery of ground and maritime targets. Flying as a triplet provides three-fold faster revisit time over any target compared to a single satellite — potentially imaging the same ship or military installation three times per orbital pass. The rapid proliferation of Yaogan-36 groups (four triplets in quick succession) mirrors the constellation-building pace of the Yaogan-30 ELINT series and reflects the PLA's urgency in achieving comprehensive, persistent space-based military situational awareness.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 314–320 mi (506–515 km)
- Inclination
- 35.0°
- One orbit
- 94.7 minutes15.2 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 54746
- Int’l designator
- 2022-171A
- Launched
- 2022
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
More classified
- YAOGAN-36 04BChinese Military SAR Imaging (Assessed Triplet Constellation)
- YAOGAN-36 04CChinese Military SAR Imaging (Assessed Triplet Constellation)
- YAOGAN-36 05AChinese Military SAR Imaging (Assessed Triplet Constellation)
- YAOGAN-36 05BChinese Military SAR Imaging (Assessed Triplet Constellation)
- YAOGAN-36 05CChinese Military SAR Imaging (Assessed Triplet Constellation)
- YAOGAN-37Chinese Military Reconnaissance (Classified)