China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationLong March 4CLaunch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Yaogan-31-04
Launched
March 13, 2021
Summary
Yaogan 31-04 (3 satellites) launched on a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 4C from Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on March 13, 2021. It was China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 310th launch, 6th this year and humanity's 6,058th orbital launch attempt. It was the 32nd Long March 4C flight and the 3rd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Yaogan 31 hao 04 zu 01 xing, one of 6 catalogued objects, reached a 1,099 × 1,106 km orbit inclined 63.4°. 6 objects from this launch are catalogued, 3 of them payloads.
- Watch
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 32nd Long March 4C flight · 3rd this yearChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 310th launch6th this yearhumanity's 6,058th orbital launch attempt21st orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Yaogan 31 hao 04 zu 01 xing · NORAD 47854 · 2021-020 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 6 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2021-020A
- Epoch
- 2021-03-13 04:04:42 UTC
- Mean motion
- 13.43756992 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0004287
- Inclination
- 63.4137°
- Ascending node
- 153.3812°
- Arg. of perigee
- 262.7757°
- Mean anomaly
- 207.4352°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
6 catalogued: 3 payloads, 1 rocket stage, 2 components; 6 still in orbit
- Yaogan 31 hao 04 zu 01 xing · NORAD 47854 · in orbit
- Yaogan 31 hao 04 zu 02 xing · NORAD 47856 · in orbit
- Yaogan 31 hao 04 zu 03 xing · NORAD 47857 · in orbit
CZ-4C Y42 Stage 3 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Yaogan 31-04 is a formation-flying triplet of Chinese military satellites in roughly 1,100 km orbits inclined at 63.4°, assessed as a naval electronic-intelligence system. Yaogan is the public designation China gives to its military reconnaissance satellites; official statements describe them only as remote-sensing spacecraft for land survey, crop estimation and disaster monitoring.
Pad

Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
73rd launch from Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), 3rd this year · 139th from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
138 launches from this pad · 299 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
16 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Updates
Launch success.
Show 1 earlier update
Added launch per NOTAMs.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/10/2021 · source
Questions
When did Yaogan 31-04 (3 satellites) launch?
Yaogan 31-04 (3 satellites) launched on March 13, 2021. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Yaogan 31-04 (3 satellites)?
Coverage: Long March-4C launches Yaogan-31 04. Watch the replay
What rocket launched Yaogan 31-04 (3 satellites)?
Long March 4C, flown by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Long March 4C spec sheet
Where did Yaogan 31-04 (3 satellites) launch from?
Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China.
What orbit did Yaogan 31-04 (3 satellites) reach?
Yaogan 31 hao 04 zu 01 xing, one of 6 catalogued objects, reached a 1,099 × 1,106 km orbit inclined 63.4°.
How many satellites did Yaogan 31-04 (3 satellites) launch?
3 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 3 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
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