{
  "id": "yaogan-33",
  "name": "Yaogan-29/33 radar satellites",
  "aliases": [],
  "domain": "space",
  "country": "CHN",
  "category": "Military radar reconnaissance satellites",
  "status": "in-service",
  "fielded": null,
  "operators": [
    "CHN"
  ],
  "summary": "Chinese government SAR satellites likely used for military reconnaissance; successors to the Yaogan-1 (JB-5) radar class.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "orbit_regime",
      "v": "LEO (sun-synchronous)",
      "src": [
        "gsp-yaogan-29"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "orbit_text",
      "v": "615 km × 619 km, 97.8° (Yaogan 29)",
      "src": [
        "gsp-yaogan-29"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "sats_count",
      "v": 5,
      "src": [
        "gsp-yaogan-29"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "One launch failure in 2019"
    },
    {
      "k": "first_launch",
      "v": 2015,
      "src": [
        "gsp-yaogan-29"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "on_orbit",
      "v": 5,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Payloads with current element sets in the public catalog, active or not. Matched Yaogan-29 and Yaogan-33 series."
    },
    {
      "k": "active_sats",
      "v": 5,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "Count in the CelesTrak active satellites list, which estimates operational status."
    },
    {
      "k": "perigee_km",
      "v": [
        619,
        696
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "apogee_km",
      "v": [
        619,
        704
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "period_min",
      "v": [
        97.1,
        98.7
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "inclination_deg",
      "v": [
        97.99,
        98.22
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [],
  "variants": [],
  "art": "satellite",
  "image": null,
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Entry created from cited open sources"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Orbital elements from CelesTrak GP data (epoch about 2026-11-08): 5 catalogued, 5 active."
    }
  ],
  "satellites": [
    {
      "name": "YAOGAN-29",
      "norad": 41038,
      "cospar": "2015-069A",
      "perigee_km": 619,
      "apogee_km": 619,
      "inclination_deg": 97.99,
      "period_min": 97.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "PRC",
      "launch": "2015-11-26"
    },
    {
      "name": "YAOGAN-33 01",
      "norad": 47302,
      "cospar": "2020-103A",
      "perigee_km": 694,
      "apogee_km": 701,
      "inclination_deg": 98.02,
      "period_min": 98.7,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "PRC",
      "launch": "2020-12-27"
    },
    {
      "name": "YAOGAN-33 02",
      "norad": 53698,
      "cospar": "2022-106A",
      "perigee_km": 695,
      "apogee_km": 699,
      "inclination_deg": 98.18,
      "period_min": 98.7,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "PRC",
      "launch": "2022-09-02"
    },
    {
      "name": "YAOGAN-33 03",
      "norad": 57797,
      "cospar": "2023-136A",
      "perigee_km": 691,
      "apogee_km": 704,
      "inclination_deg": 98.2,
      "period_min": 98.7,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "PRC",
      "launch": "2023-09-06"
    },
    {
      "name": "YAOGAN-33 04",
      "norad": 57958,
      "cospar": "2023-149A",
      "perigee_km": 696,
      "apogee_km": 697,
      "inclination_deg": 98.22,
      "period_min": 98.7,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "PRC",
      "launch": "2023-09-26"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/yaogan-33.html",
  "sources": {
    "gsp-yaogan-29": {
      "title": "Yaogan 29, 33, 33R",
      "publisher": "Gunter's Space Page",
      "url": "https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/yaogan-29.htm",
      "published": null,
      "tier": 3,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    },
    "celestrak-gp": {
      "title": "NORAD GP element sets (current data)",
      "publisher": "CelesTrak (data from the U.S. Space Force 18th/19th Space Defense Squadron catalog)",
      "url": "https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/",
      "published": "2026-11-08",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    }
  }
}