Launching at 0430 GMT on 10 September a Chinese Long March 6A (CZ-6A) rocket carried the Yaogan 40 mission into a 800 km polar orbit. This mission took place from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, northern China.
Chinese state media refers to this mission in a singular sense however, Western analysts believe this to be a satellite triplet (Yaogan 40A, 40B, and 40C). This is supported by the US Space Command which identifies three objects from this launch as satellites. The stated mission for Yaogan 40 is “electromagnetic environment detection and related technical tests” however, its “Yaogan” designation suggests a more military angle for these satellites.
The Long March 6A rocket lifts-off carrying its payload into orbit. Courtesy: Xinhua/Feng Yang
