China launched the classified TJS-11 satellite early Friday as it continues to improve its geospatial capabilities. Long March 5 was launched from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island at 06:30 eastern time (11:30 UTC) on February 23.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced the successful launch less than an hour after launch. The message also included the first official payload declaration: TJS-11 (Tongxin Jishu Shiyan-11). The satellite is believed to be used mainly to test multi-band high-speed satellite communications technology.

Neither CASC nor China’s state media provided additional details about the satellite, which is part of a series of secret geosynchronous satellites for the Chinese military. Observers believe TJS satellites serve a number of purposes, including early warning, signals intelligence and more.

Preparations for the mission were carried out in secrecy, despite the coastal launch site being open. Unlike previous missions, there was no official report of the rocket being launched. It is noteworthy that this is the shortest time interval between the launches of the “Long March 5” – 70 days after the launch of Yaogan-41. Like the Yaogan-41 launch, the TJS-11 mission used an extended payload fairing 18.5 meters long and 5.2 meters in diameter. Standard fairings are 12.3 meters long.

This is the first TJS satellite launched on March 5, China’s most powerful launch vehicle. Long March 5 can launch a 14,000 kilogram weight into geosynchronous orbit. The launcher is needed to launch China’s largest satellite bus, DFH-5.

A number of satellites and their activities have attracted the attention of observers in recent years. For example, the Chinese satellite TJS-3 (Tongxin Jishu Shiyan-3) was launched in 2018 and released a payload for unspecified targets.

Evaluations of the duo’s maneuvers indicate that the spacecraft acted in concert and carried out operations including tampering. It involves coordinated maneuvers at specific times to confuse adversaries’ space surveillance networks. Orbit data shows TJS-3 approaching American satellites.

Recently, the US Space Force has expressed concern about the development of China’s geostationary orbit (GEO) capabilities. Notable assets include the Ludi Tance-4 (01) Synthetic Aperture (SAR) satellite with an estimated resolution of 2.5 meters and the Yaogan-41 optical satellite. China launched these two separately in the second half of 2023.

“Combined with data from other Chinese surveillance satellites, Yaogan-41 could provide China with unprecedented capability to detect and track car-sized objects in the Indo-Pacific region, putting multiple U.S. and allied naval and air assets at risk. A former U.S. intelligence Clayton Swope, official and now a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said on January 30.

Also last November, a Long March 7A rocket launched the mysterious TJS-10 satellite into GEO.

The launch of TJS-11 was the seventh flight of the Long 5 March. This was also China’s ninth orbital mission in 2024. Unlike previous years, CASC has not yet presented a plan for general launch activities for 2024. Last year, China broke the national record 67 times without a single failure.

Notable highlights include the Shenzhou missions to the Tiangong Space Station and the pioneer Chang’e-6 far-side lunar sample return mission. The final mission will fly next March 5th. The launch is expected in May, after the required relay satellite Queqiao-2 is launched next month on March 8.

Chinese commercial launch providers are expected to continue developing breakthroughs in 2023. New liquid launch vehicles are being launched, including Tianlong-3 (Space Pioneer), Nebula-1 (Deep Blue Aerospace), and Pallas-1 (Galactic Energy). It is expected in the second half of 2024.