Yaogan


Yaogan is a series of Chinese reconnaissance satellites launched in the early 21st century.
Chinese media describe the satellites as intended for "scientific experiments, land survey, crop yield assessment, and disaster monitoring". Western analysts suspect that they are also used for military purposes. Analysts believe that each satellite employs either optical or synthetic aperture radar sensors and that the SAR satellites are of the Jian Bing-5 series.
The SAR satellite was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Space Flight Technology. The electro-optical digital imaging satellite was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology. It is carried into space atop a Chang Zheng rocket.
Yaogan satellites have been launched from both the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China's northern Shanxi province and the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's northwestern Gansu province.

Launches

Yaogan 1 is believed to have broken up around February 4, 2010 almost four years after it was launched. Because of the small number of pieces and low orbital speeds, it was likely due to an internal explosion, not a high-speed collision.