China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationLong March 6ALaunch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Yaogan 40 Group 04
Launched
September 24, 2026 · 08:46 UTC
Image: CCTV
Summary
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation’s Long March 6A successfully launched three Yaogan 40 Group 04 satellites from Taiyuan’s Complex 9A. The mission, officially described as electromagnetic environment probing, expands China’s reconnaissance constellation.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Polar Orbit (PO)
- Milestone
- 27th Long March 6A flight · 8th this yearChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 617th launch47th this yearhumanity's 7,403rd orbital launch attempt230th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
OBJECT A · NORAD 100823 · 2026-222A · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 5 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- YAOGAN-40 04A
- Object ID
- 2026-222A
- Epoch
- 2026-10-15 22:47:35 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.32671576 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.00141562
- Inclination
- 86.0008°
- Ascending node
- 61.5338°
- Arg. of perigee
- 189.6643°
- Mean anomaly
- 170.4281°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 309
- B*
- 0.00008369035
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: PO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
About this launch
Yaogan 40 Group 04 launched on a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 6A from Launch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on September 24, 2026 at 08:46 UTC. The launch window ran from 08:38 to 09:04 UTC. It was China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 617th launch, 47th this year and humanity's 7,403rd orbital launch attempt. It was the 27th Long March 6A flight and the 8th this year. The payload was bound for Polar Orbit (PO). It reached a 801 × 817 km orbit inclined 86.0°.
3 Chinese reconnaissance satellites of unknown purposes, officially reported as for "Electromagnetic environment probing".
News
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Pad
Launch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
29th launch from Launch Complex 9A, 9th this year · 162nd from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Local pad time at liftoff: Sep 24, 4:46 PM GMT+8, in daylight
29 launches from this pad · 162 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
30 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Updates
Launch success.
Show 1 earlier update
Added launch per NOTAMs; Payload and launch vehicle identities uncertain.
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/18/2026 · source
Questions
When did Yaogan 40 Group 04 launch?
Yaogan 40 Group 04 launched on September 24, 2026 at 08:46 UTC. The launch window ran from 08:38 to 09:04 UTC.
Where can I watch Yaogan 40 Group 04?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Yaogan 40 Group 04?
Long March 6A, flown by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Long March 6A spec sheet
Where did Yaogan 40 Group 04 launch from?
Launch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China. Liftoff was Sep 24, 4:46 PM GMT+8 local time at the pad.
What orbit did Yaogan 40 Group 04 reach?
It reached a 801 × 817 km orbit inclined 86.0°.