YAOGAN-35 03A

YAOGAN-35 03A is an active satellite operated by Chinese Ministry of National Defense (China), launched on 2022-07-29 from Xichang, China. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 275 km and 285 km with an inclination of 35.0°. It travels at approximately 27,869 km/h (7.74 km/s), completing one full orbit every 90 minutes — that’s roughly 15.99 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is weeks to months. Orbital Radar tracks YAOGAN-35 03A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

YAOGAN-35 03A orbits at an average altitude of 280 km in the lower reaches of Low Earth Orbit, where atmospheric drag is significant and orbital lifetimes are measured in months to a few years. This is the busiest corridor in space — home to crewed spacecraft, rapid-revisit imaging satellites and the densest part of the Starlink constellation. Within ±50 km of YAOGAN-35 03A’s average altitude, there are currently 279 active payloads and 8 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1151, STARLINK-1143, STARLINK-1279. With an inclination of 35.0°, YAOGAN-35 03A passes over latitudes between 35.0°N and 35.0°S, covering the tropical and temperate zones where most of the world’s population resides. Low-to-mid inclination orbits are efficient to reach from equatorial and mid-latitude launch sites. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total, of which 5 share a similar altitude band with YAOGAN-35 03A.