Science
QIANKUN-1
Chinese Earth Observation Satellite · Chinese Commercial/Government Operator
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Qiankun-1, a Chinese Earth observation satellite named after an ancient philosophical term for the heavens and the earth combined — the totality of the universe in classical Chinese cosmology. The name reflects China's broader habit of drawing satellite names from classical literature and philosophy rather than purely technical designations, a naming tradition running in parallel with the country's more clinical Gaofen and Yaogan series.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 164–168 mi (264–271 km)
- Inclination
- 96.1°
- One orbit
- 89.7 minutes16.1 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 57422
- Int’l designator
- 2023-103B
- Launched
- 2023
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
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