Key Highlights
- China launched the third group of Yaogan 35 spy satellites.
- Analysts perceive China’s Yaogan series satellites to serve civil and military users.
China included three new satellites to its classified Yaogan Earth observation and reconnaissance series with the recent launch out of the hills of southwest China.
A Long March 2D rocket lifted off at 9:28 EDT on 7th July from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province carrying three satellites designated as Yaogan 35 (03 group).
The new trio joins two sets of Yaogan 25 satellite triplets sent into orbit by two similar launches in November 2021 and June 2022. All nine satellites are currently orbiting at roughly 310 miles which is 500 kilometers above the Earth, with an inclination of 35 degrees to provide regular, repeated passes over areas of interest.
Most Yaogan remote sensing satellites are little known, and descriptions of their uses are typically vague.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), which developed the rocket and spacecraft for the mission, stated that the satellites would be used to monitor land usage and natural resources, space scientific experiments, and other scientific purposes.
However, In a recently published yearbook, the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) notes that in space activities, China’s Yaogan series satellites are perceived by analysts to serve both civil and military users.
In the earlier pair of Yaogan 35 satellite launches, two of the three satellites were developed by the Aerospace Dongfanghong Satellite Company Limited, with the third provided by the SAST, both of which operate under CASC.
A mission patch released by SAST indicates that the payload adapter that serves as an interface between a rocket stage and the spacecraft being sent into orbit carries a drag sail designed to help deorbit the roughly 660-pound adapter much sooner than otherwise.
The launch was China’s 27th of the year. CASC is set to launch more than 50 times throughout 2022.
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