CLASSIFIED
YAOGAN-40 02A
Chinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (Polar Orbit Triplet) · CASC / PLA
Right now
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Lead satellite of the second Yaogan-40 group, expanding China's polar-orbit naval surveillance constellation to a full three-satellite triplet formation — a shift from the two-satellite configuration of the first Yaogan-40 group. This triplet arrangement restores the triangulation geometry that has defined China's ELINT satellite methodology since the original Yaogan-9 formation in 2010, now applied at global polar coverage rather than regional Pacific coverage.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 530–532 mi (853–857 km)
- Inclination
- 86.0°
- One orbit
- 101.9 minutes14.1 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 63918
- Int’l designator
- 2025-096A
- Launched
- 2025
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
More classified
- YAOGAN-40 02BChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (Polar Orbit Triplet)
- YAOGAN-40 02CChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (Polar Orbit Triplet)
- YAOGAN-40 03AChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (Polar Orbit Triplet)
- YAOGAN-40 03BChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (Polar Orbit Triplet)
- YAOGAN-40 03CChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (Polar Orbit Triplet)
- YAOGAN-42 01Chinese Military Reconnaissance