Science

TIANPING 3B-02

Radar calibration / technology support · Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST)

Tianping 3B-02 completes the trio of Chinese calibration satellites launched together October 21, 2024 aboard a Long March 6 rocket from Taiyuan. Like its cluster-mates, it functions as a radar reference target: a spacecraft carrying a known, precisely characterized reflector or transponder that ground-based radar stations can use to verify their equipment is measuring correctly, rather than a satellite that images or surveils anything itself. The mission was initially reported by Chinese state media as a single-satellite launch before the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology corrected the record to three separate satellites, and the broader Tianping-3 payload also supports ground-based optical testing and space-environment monitoring that helps keep China's satellite-tracking predictions accurate.