YAOGAN-43 02A

YAOGAN-43 02A is an active satellite operated by PLA Strategic Support Force (China), launched on 2024-09-03 from Xichang, China. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 414 km and 421 km with an inclination of 35.0°. It travels at approximately 27,586 km/h (7.66 km/s), completing one full orbit every 93 minutes — that’s roughly 15.50 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-43 02A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

YAOGAN-43 02A orbits at an average altitude of 418 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-43 02A’s average altitude, there are currently 2,618 active payloads and 121 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1008, STARLINK-1012, STARLINK-1020. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 15% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 35.0°, YAOGAN-43 02A 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 58 share a similar altitude band with YAOGAN-43 02A.