YAOGAN-36 03A

YAOGAN-36 03A is an active satellite operated by PLA Strategic Support Force (China), launched on 2022-11-27 from Xichang, China. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 460 km and 464 km with an inclination of 35.0°. It travels at approximately 27,496 km/h (7.64 km/s), completing one full orbit every 94 minutes — that’s roughly 15.35 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 ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks YAOGAN-36 03A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

YAOGAN-36 03A orbits at an average altitude of 462 km in the core of Low Earth Orbit, the most heavily utilised altitude band. The balance of moderate drag (limiting debris accumulation) and short signal path (enabling low-latency links and high-resolution imaging) makes this regime the default for most commercial and government missions. Within ±50 km of YAOGAN-36 03A’s average altitude, there are currently 7,963 active payloads and 174 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1008, STARLINK-1012, STARLINK-1017. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 45.7% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 35.0°, YAOGAN-36 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 1,219 active satellites in total, of which 156 share a similar altitude band with YAOGAN-36 03A.