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JB-8

Spacecraft · China

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Yaogan 17A
Yaogan 17A
Credit: Manufacturer Image

Chinese military surveillance satellite. Each launch consisted of a primary satellite and two sub-satellites. Three sets of these triplets were launched from ?Jiuquan by the CZ-4C launch vehicle into 1090 km, 63.4 deg inclination orbits beginning in 2010. Reported to have a naval surveillance / sigint mission similar to those of the US PARCAE/NOSS system. This utilized a group of satellites flying in loose formation to locate radio emitters using the difference in time of arrival of the radio signals at the different satellites. Built by DFH.

Related

Country
China

Chronology

6 events

2010 March 5

04:55 GMT - . Launch Site: Jiuquan. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 4C.
  • Yaogan 9A - . Mass: 200 kg (440 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 36413 . COSPAR: 2010-009A. Apogee: 1,107 km (687 mi). Perigee: 1,075 km (667 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.10 min.
  • Yaogan 9B - . Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 36414 . COSPAR: 2010-009B. Apogee: 1,107 km (687 mi). Perigee: 1,075 km (667 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.10 min.
  • Yaogan 9C - . Mass: 200 kg (440 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 36415 . COSPAR: 2010-009C. Apogee: 1,107 km (687 mi). Perigee: 1,074 km (667 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.10 min.

2012 November 25

04:06 GMT - . Launch Site: Jiuquan. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 4C.
  • Yaogan 16A - . Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Nation: China. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 39011 . COSPAR: 2012-066A. Apogee: 1,096 km (681 mi). Perigee: 1,085 km (674 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.10 min. Believed to be a military naval SIGINT surveillance system, consisting of a main satellite and two subsatellites. Second such launch after 2010's Yaogan 9..
  • Yaogan 16B - . Mass: 200 kg (440 lb). Nation: China. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 39012 . COSPAR: 2012-066B. Apogee: 1,095 km (680 mi). Perigee: 1,086 km (674 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.10 min.
  • Yaogan 16C - . Mass: 200 kg (440 lb). Nation: China. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 39013 . COSPAR: 2012-066C. Apogee: 1,096 km (681 mi). Perigee: 1,085 km (674 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.10 min.

2013 September 1

19:16 GMT - . Launch Site: Jiuquan. Launch Complex: Jiuquan SLS-2. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 4C.
  • Yaogan 17A - . Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Nation: China. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 39239 . COSPAR: 2013-046A. Apogee: 1,116 km (693 mi). Perigee: 1,065 km (661 mi). Inclination: 63.41 deg. Period: 107.05 min.

    Triplet of naval surveillance satellites, believed to operate like the old US PARCAE/NOSS system, in which a group of loosely formation-flying spacecraft locate radio emitters using the difference in time of arrival of the radio signals at the different satellites.

  • Yaogan 17B - . Mass: 200 kg (440 lb). Nation: China. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 39240 . COSPAR: 2013-046B. Apogee: 1,116 km (693 mi). Perigee: 1,065 km (661 mi). Inclination: 63.41 deg. Period: 107.05 min.
  • Yaogan 17C - . Mass: 200 kg (440 lb). Nation: China. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 39241 . COSPAR: 2013-046C. Apogee: 1,116 km (693 mi). Perigee: 1,064 km (661 mi). Inclination: 63.41 deg. Period: 107.05 min.

2014 August 9

05:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Jiuquan. Launch Complex: Jiuquan SLS-2. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 4C.
  • Yaogan 20b - . Mass: 200 kg (440 lb). Nation: China. Agency: CASC. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 40110 . COSPAR: 2014-047B. Apogee: 1,094 km (679 mi). Perigee: 1,087 km (675 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.05 min.
  • Yaogan 20c - . Mass: 200 kg (440 lb). Nation: China. Agency: CASC. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 40111 . COSPAR: 2014-047C. Apogee: 1,094 km (679 mi). Perigee: 1,087 km (675 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.05 min.
  • Yaogan 20a - . Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Nation: China. Agency: CASC. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 40109 . COSPAR: 2014-047A. Apogee: 1,066 km (662 mi). Perigee: 1,054 km (654 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 106.41 min. Triplet satellites, the fourth in a series; previous triplet clusters were Yaogan 9, 16 and 17. They were thought to be analogous to the old US NOSS/PARCAE ocean surveillance system..

2014 December 10

19:33 GMT - . Launch Site: Jiuquan. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 4C.
  • Yaogan 25a - . Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Nation: China. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 40338 . COSPAR: 2014-080A. Apogee: 1,106 km (687 mi). Perigee: 1,074 km (667 mi). Inclination: 63.41 deg. Period: 107.05 min. Fifth Yaogan mission. Each consisted of a main satellite and two subsatellites..
  • Yaogan 25b - . Mass: 200 kg (440 lb). Nation: China. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 40339 . COSPAR: 2014-080B. Apogee: 1,106 km (687 mi). Perigee: 1,074 km (667 mi). Inclination: 63.41 deg. Period: 107.05 min.
  • Yaogan 25c - . Mass: 200 kg (440 lb). Nation: China. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 40340 . COSPAR: 2014-080C. Apogee: 1,106 km (687 mi). Perigee: 1,074 km (667 mi). Inclination: 63.41 deg. Period: 107.05 min.

2014 December 27

03:22 GMT - . Launch Site: Taiyuan LC9. Launch Complex: Taiyuan LC9. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 4B.
  • Yaogan 26 - . Payload: Jianbing 8. Mass: 2,800 kg (6,100 lb). Nation: China. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-8. USAF Sat Cat: 40362 . COSPAR: 2014-088A. Apogee: 489 km (303 mi). Perigee: 484 km (300 mi). Inclination: 97.41 deg. Period: 94.34 min. The profile was similar to the Yaogan 5 series of imaging satellites, but the rocket used a larger nose fairing, so this was likely an upgrade. Sun synchronous orbit; 1030 GMT local time of the descending node..