CLASSIFIED
YAOGAN-46
Chinese Wide-Area Surveillance (Medium Earth Orbit) · CASC / PLA
Right now
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Yaogan-46, launched November 2-3, 2025, joining Yaogan-45 in the same unprecedented 4,660-mile, 20°-inclined medium Earth orbit — the second satellite in what analysts believe is an entirely new Chinese wide-area surveillance system. Chinese state media described Yaogan-46's applications as disaster prevention, land resource survey, water conservancy, and meteorology — a description notably different from the standard boilerplate used for most other Yaogan satellites, suggesting this may genuinely be a distinct program rather than another naval ELINT triplet in disguise.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Medium Earth Orbita high vantage point, ideal for navigation
- Altitude
- 4,660–4,669 mi (7,499–7,514 km)
- Inclination
- 20.1°
- One orbit
- 4.5 hours5.3 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 66313
- Int’l designator
- 2025-250A
- Launched
- 2025
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
More classified
- 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)
- YAOGAN-9 01AChinese ELINT Naval Surveillance (JB-8 Founding Triplet)