CLASSIFIED
YAOGAN-45
Chinese Wide-Area Surveillance (Medium Earth Orbit) · CASC / PLA
Right now
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Yaogan-45, launched September 9, 2025 on a modified Long March 7A — the rocket's first-ever mission to medium Earth orbit rather than its usual geostationary transfer trajectory, requiring strengthened fuel tanks and an altered engine ignition sequence. Yaogan-45 settled into a circular 4,660-mile altitude orbit at just 20° inclination, an unprecedented profile for the Yaogan program that analyst Jonathan McDowell assessed as 'presumably for wide area surveillance' — trading the sharp resolution of low Earth orbit for dramatically longer, more persistent viewing time over any chosen region. The orbit sits within the Van Allen radiation belt's inner edge, an unusual environmental tradeoff for a surveillance mission.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Medium Earth Orbita high vantage point, ideal for navigation
- Altitude
- 4,658–4,671 mi (7,496–7,517 km)
- Inclination
- 19.9°
- One orbit
- 4.5 hours5.3 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 65563
- Int’l designator
- 2025-202A
- Launched
- 2025
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
More classified
- YAOGAN-46Chinese Wide-Area Surveillance (Medium Earth Orbit)
- YAOGAN-47Chinese Military Reconnaissance (Conventional LEO Imaging)
- YAOGAN-50 01Chinese Military Satellite (Assessed Reconnaissance, Unusual Orbit)
- YAOGAN-50 02Chinese Military Satellite (Assessed Reconnaissance, Unusual Orbit)
- YAOGAN-7Earth Observation (Dual-Use)
- YAOGAN-8Chinese Military Reconnaissance (Early Yaogan — EO/SAR)