China launched a second batch of secretive Yaogan-43 satellites late Monday, adding to a group of nine satellites already in orbit. The Long March 4B rocket lifted off from the Xichang Domestic Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China at 21:22 on September 2 (0122 UTC on September 3) and glided above the fog-covered hills surrounding the spaceport. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) confirmed the successful launch within an hour of launch. The announcement said the mission would be Yaogan-43 (02).

No details about the satellites were released. CASC and Chinese state media described the satellites as “mainly used to test new low orbit array technologies.” The briefing was the same as that released for the launch of the Yaogan-43 (01) group launched in August. The lack of transparency suggests the group’s dual or military nature.

The previous mission’s mission patch showed nine stars; nine satellites were later placed into orbit by the U.S. Space Force’s Space Delta 2. Monday’s launch patch featured six stars. In Chinese, the character for “star” is often used synonymously with “satellite.”

The Yaogan-43 (02) satellites were developed by the Shanghai Academy of Space Technology CASC (SAST).

Official social media reports indicated that commercial satellite manufacturer and operator GalaxySpace and HITSAT, affiliated with the Harbin Institute of Technology, may have taken part in the mission. IAMCAS, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and commercial spacecraft manufacturer MinoSpace are believed to have taken part in the previous mission.

SAST also provided the Long March 4B hyperbolic launcher for the mission. The launcher used a larger payload fairing of 4.2 meters in diameter, as in the previous launch.

Yaohan Von

The purpose and uses of the satellites are unclear. The Yaogan-43 (01) satellites are in similar Earth orbits of 500 kilometers altitude with a 35 degree inclination as the Yaogan-35, 36, 39 and 42 series satellites.

Yaogan (“remote sensing”) satellites are believed to be aimed at users including the military. Few details about the satellites are known. They are typically intended for purposes such as land surveying, yield assessment, environmental management, meteorological warning and forecasting, and natural disaster risk prevention and reduction, or “electromagnetic environment detection and related testing”.

Yaogan’s various satellite series are generally understood to include optical imaging satellites, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and electronic intelligence satellites (ELINT). This combination provides high-resolution imagery and all-weather, day and night imagery, as well as the collection of electronic signals from radars, communications systems, and other electronic devices, both on land and at sea.

Monday’s launch was China’s 39th orbital launch attempt in 2024. It follows the third commercial sea launch of the Ceres-1 rocket last week. CASC announced earlier this year that it plans to conduct about 70 launches by 2024. Another 30 launches by commercial participants are planned, but only six have been completed so far. The industry may have been affected by the accidental liftoff of the Tianlong-3 first stage during static fire tests in June.

The Long March 6 series rocket may be launched from Taiyuan in the coming days. The new Long March 12 launcher is expected to be launched from the new commercial panel in late September.