CLASSIFIED

2024-153A

Reconnaissance (classified) · PLA (China) — likely Yaogan program

This object is one of six satellites (COSPAR designation 2024-153, catalog objects A through F) launched by China on September 3, 2024 on a Long March 4B rocket from Xichang, widely reported as the second batch in the experimental Yaogan-43 series. The first Yaogan-43 batch of nine satellites flew in August 2024 under a mission patch bearing nine stars and an official description that the satellites are 'mainly used to carry out' technology testing for a planned low-Earth-orbit constellation—vague, boilerplate phrasing typical of how Chinese state media describes military-adjacent test satellites without disclosing their actual sensors or mission. Independent trackers list the individual purpose of each Yaogan-43 satellite as unknown, and some analysts believe the cluster may include hardware from multiple different manufacturers grouped under one designation rather than a single homogeneous payload. Given China's history with the broader Yaogan program—a name that has covered everything from optical imaging to naval signals-intelligence satellites—continued classification here is the honest answer rather than a specific claim about function.