Yaogan 40 Group 04

Long March 6A · China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 8:46 AM UTC

Mission brief

What is happening

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is launching Yaogan 40 Group 04 on a Long March 6A from Launch Complex 9A at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China. It is a classified government mission heading to Polar Orbit.

Why it matters

Details of classified national security payloads are withheld, so the mission profile is usually only partly published and coverage often ends early.

What stands out

Classified payload

At a glance

Destination: Polar Orbit
Payload: Yaogan 40 Group 04
Mission type: Government/Top Secret
Rocket: Long March 6A
Provider: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Launch site: Launch Complex 9A

3 Chinese reconnaissance satellites of unknown purposes, officially reported as for "Electromagnetic environment probing".

Launch site: Launch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Vehicle: Long March 6A
Provider: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Orbit: PO
Payload: Yaogan 40 Group 04
Status: Launch Successful
Vehicle height: 50 m
Liftoff thrust: 7,230 kN
Vehicle type flights: 27
Vehicle type success rate: 100.0%

What changed

SEP 24 · 10:00 AM UTC
Launch time now precise
Detected by RocketRune
SEP 24 · 10:00 AM UTC
Orbit set to PO
Detected by RocketRune
SEP 24 · 10:00 AM UTC
Mission renamed to Yaogan 40 Group 04
Detected by RocketRune
SEP 24 · 10:00 AM UTC
Launched successfully
Detected by RocketRune

3 more entries in the full history of this launch. RocketRune Pro shows every change and every dated note.

Can you see this launch from where you are?

RocketRune works out the direction to look, how high the rocket will sit in your sky, the cloud forecast over you and whether the plume will be lit, then scores it out of 100.

Open the live tracker

Other upcoming launches

See the full launch schedule