YAOGAN-43 02A

YAOGAN-43 02A is an active satellite operated by PLA GAD (China), launched on 2024-09-03 from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China on the Yaogan 43 02 launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 391 km and 394 km with an inclination of 35.0°. It travels at approximately 27,637 km/h (7.68 km/s), completing one full orbit every 92 minutes — that’s roughly 15.59 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 months to ~1 year. 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 393 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-43 02A’s average altitude, there are currently 1,334 active payloads and 80 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ISS (ZARYA), STARLINK-1008, STARLINK-1012. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 7.1% 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 1,275 active satellites in total, of which 41 share a similar altitude band with YAOGAN-43 02A.