Yaogan
Yaogan (Chinese: 遥感卫星; pinyin: Yáogǎn wèixīng; lit.: 'Remote Sensing Satellite') is a series of Chinese reconnaissance satellites launched in the early 21st century.
Chinese media describe the satellites as intended for "scientific experiments, land survey, crop yield assessment, and disaster monitoring". Western analysts suspect that they are also used for military purposes.[1] Analysts believe that each satellite employs either optical or synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors and that the SAR satellites are of the Jian Bing-5 series.[2]
The SAR satellite was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Space Flight Technology (SAST). The electro-optical digital imaging satellite was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). It is carried into space atop a Chang Zheng (Long March) rocket.[3]
Yaogan satellites have been launched from both the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China's northern Shanxi province and the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's northwestern Gansu province.[4]
Launches
Yaogan 1 is believed to have broken up around February 4, 2010 almost four years after it was launched. Because of the small number of pieces and low orbital speeds, it was likely due to an internal explosion, not a high-speed collision.[5]
Satellite Name | Military designation |
Launch date |
Believed type |
Approximate orbit | NORAD ID |
COSPAR designator |
Contractor | Launch site | Launcher |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yaogan 1 | JB-5-1 | April 27, 2006 | SAR | 635–637 km
97.9 degrees |
29092 | 2006-015A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4B |
Yaogan 2 | JB-6-1 | May 25, 2007 | Optical | 639–663 km
97.9 degrees |
31490 | 2007-019A | CAST | Jiuquan | Long March 2D |
Yaogan 3 | JB-5-2 | Nov. 12, 2007 | SAR | 635–637 km
97.8 degrees |
32289 | 2007-055A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4C |
Yaogan 4 | JB-6-2 | Dec. 1, 2008 | Optical | 642–660 km
97.9 degrees |
33446 | 2008-061A | CAST | Jiuquan | Long March 2D |
Yaogan 5 | JB-10-1 | Dec. 15, 2008 | Optical | 494–501 km
97.3 degrees |
33456 | 2008-064A | CAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4B |
Yaogan 6 | JB-7-1 | April 22, 2009 | SAR | 518–519 km
97.6 degrees |
34839 | 2009-021A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 2C |
Yaogan 7 | JB-6-3 | Dec. 9, 2009 | Optical | 630–666 km
97.8 degrees |
36110 | 2009-069A | CAST | Jiuquan | Long March 2D |
Yaogan 8 | JB-9-1 | Dec.15, 2009 | Optical | 1200–1212 km
100.5 degrees |
36121 | 2009-072A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4C |
Yaogan
9A, 9B, 9C |
JB-8-1 | March 5, 2010 | Probable ELINT | 1089–1107 km
63.4 degrees |
36413 36414 36415 |
CAST | Jiuquan | Long March 4C | |
Yaogan 10 | JB-5-3 | Aug. 10, 2010 | SAR | 629–627 km
97.8 degrees |
36834 | 2010-038A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4C |
Yaogan 11 | JB-6-4 | Sept. 22, 2010 | Optical | 670–625 km
98.0 degrees |
37165 | 2010-047A | CAST | Jiuquan | Long March 2D |
Yaogan 12 | JB-10-2 | Nov. 9, 2011 | Optical | 479–495 km
97.3 degrees |
37875 | 2011-066B | CAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4B |
Yaogan 13 | JB-7-2 | Nov. 30, 2011 | SAR | 502–504 km
97.4 degrees |
37941 | 2011-072A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 2C |
Yaogan 14 | JB-11-1 | May 10, 2012 | Optical | 471–474 km
97.3 degrees |
38257 | 2012-021A | CAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4B |
Yaogan 15 | JB-9-2 | May 29, 2012 | Optical | 1198–1204 km
100.2 degrees |
38354 | 2012-029A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4C |
Yaogan
16A, 16B, 16C |
JB-8-2 | Nov. 25, 2012 | Probable ELINT | 1085–1096 km
63.4 degrees |
39011 39012 39013 |
CAST | Jiuquan | Long March 4C | |
Yaogan
17A, 17B, 17C |
JB-8-3 | Sept. 1, 2013 | Probable ELINT | 1060–1119 km
63.4 degrees |
39239 39240 39241 |
SAST | Jiuquan | Long March 4C | |
Yaogan 18 | JB-7-3 | Oct. 29, 2013 | SAR | 509 km
97.5 degrees |
39363 | 2013-059A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 2C |
Yaogan 19 | JB-9-3 | Nov. 20, 2013 | Optical | 1119–1204 km
100.4 degrees |
39410 | 2013-065A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4C |
Yaogan
20A, 20B, 20C |
JB-8-4 | Aug. 9, 2014 | Probable ELINT | 1086–1092 km
63.4 degrees |
40109 40110 40111 |
CAST | Jiuquan | Long March 4C | |
Yaogan 21 | JB-10-3 | Sept. 8, 2014 | Optical | 481–492 km
97.4 degrees |
40143 | 2014-053A | CAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4B |
Yaogan 22 | JB-9-4 | Oct. 20, 2014 | Optical | 1198–1207 km
100.3 degrees |
40275 | 2014-063A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4C |
Yaogan 23 | JB-7-4 | Nov. 14, 2014 | SAR | 510–514 km
97.3 degrees |
40305 | 014-071A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 2C |
Yaogan 24 | JB 6-5 | Nov. 20, 2014 | Optical | 629–654 km
97.9 degrees |
40310 | 2014-072A | CAST | Jiuquan | Long March 2D |
Yaogan
25A, 25B, 25C |
JB-8-5 | Dec. 10, 2014 | Probable ELINT | 1091–1098 km
63.4 degrees |
40338 40339 40340 |
CAST | Jiuquan | Long March 4C | |
Yaogan 26 | JB-12-1 | Dec. 27, 2014 | Optical | 482–488 km
97.4 degrees |
40362 | 2014-088A | CAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4B |
Yaogan 27 | JB-9-5 | Aug. 27, 2015 | Optical | 1201–1214 km
100.4 degrees |
40878 | 2015-040A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4C |
Yaogan 28 | JB-11-2 | Nov. 8, 2015 | Optical | 476–490 km
97.3 degrees |
41026 | 2015-064A | CAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4B |
Yaogan 29 | November 26, 2015 | SAR | 635–636 km
97.9 degrees |
41038 | 2015-069A | SAST | Taiyuan | Long March 4C | |
Yaogan 30 | JB 6-6 | May 15, 2016 | Optical | 634–664 km
98.0 degrees |
41473 | 2016-029A | CAST | Jiuquan | Long March 2D |
Yaogan
30A, 30B, 30C |
Sept. 29, 2017 | Probable ELINT | 602–611 km
35 degrees |
42945 42946 42947 |
Jiuquan | Long March 2C | |||
Yaogan
30D, 30E, 30F |
Nov. 24, 2017 | Probable electro-optical | 603–610 km
35 degrees |
43028 43029 43030 |
Jiuquan | Long March 2D | |||
Yaogan
30G, 30H, 30J |
Dec. 25, 2017 | Probable ELINT | 602–610 km
35 degrees |
43081 43082 43083 |
Xichang | Long March 2C | |||
Yaogan
30K, 30L, 30M |
Jan. 25, 2018 | Probable ELINT | 602–610 km
35 degrees |
43170 43171 43172 |
Xichang | Long March 2C | |||
Yaogan
31A, 31B, 31C |
April 10, 2018 | Probable ELINT | 1085–1110 km
63.4 degrees |
43275 43276 43277 |
Jiuquan | Long March 4C | |||
Yaogan
32A, 32B |
Oct. 9, 2018 | Probable ELINT | 43642 43643 |
Jiuquan | Long March 2C/YZ-1S | ||||
Yaogan 33 | May 23, 2019 | (Launch Failure) | Taiyuan | Long March 4C | |||||
Yaogan
30N, 30Q, 30P |
July 25, 2019 | 44449
44451 44450 |
Xichang | Long March 2C | |||||
Yaogan-30
Group 6 #1-3 |
March 23, 2020 | Xichang | Long March 2C | ||||||
Table data sourced from previously cited references, "CalSky". Web site. CalSky.com. Retrieved 2016-11-09. and "Real Time Satellite Tracking". Web site. N2YO.com. Retrieved 2016-11-09. |
See also
References
- Barbosa, Rui C. (April 22, 2009). "Chinese launch again with YaoGan Weixing-6 remote sensing satellite". News article. NasaSpaceflight.com. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
- "YaoGan Weixing / Remote Sensing Satellites". Web article. SinoDefence.com. February 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
- "China launches "Yaogan VI" remote-sensing satellite". News article. Xinhua. April 22, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
- "China Launches Yaogan-4 Satellite". Magazine article. Asian Surveying and Mapping. December 2, 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
- "Yaogan 1 Erupts". Arms Control Wonk. February 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-11.