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CLASSIFIED

YAOGAN-40 01A

Chinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (Polar Orbit, Next-Gen) · CASC / PLA

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Lead satellite of the first Yaogan-40 formation, launched into an 86° near-polar orbit — a departure from the 35°- and 63.4°-inclined regimes used by the earlier Yaogan-25, 30, and 31 ELINT families. The shift to polar orbit gives Yaogan-40 truly global rather than regionally-focused coverage, reflecting the PLA Navy's expanding operational reach beyond the Western Pacific into the Indian Ocean and potentially further afield.

Its orbit

Orbit
Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
Altitude
530–532 mi (854–856 km)
Inclination
86.0°
One orbit
101.9 minutes14.1 orbits a day
NORAD ID
57830
Int’l designator
2023-139A
Launched
2023

Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.

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