HELSINKI — China sent a new pair of secretive satellites into a programmatically new orbit Wednesday, while also upgrading its on-orbit communications relay capabilities.
A Long March 6A rocket lifted off at 9:00 p.m. Eastern July 29 (0100 UTC, July 30) from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced launch success, revealing the payloads to be the communication technology test satellites 27A and 27B (TJS-27A and 27B.
CASC stated that the satellites are mainly to be used for satellite communication, broadcasting and television, data transmission and other services, and to carry out related technology experiments and verifications, providing no further details. CASC’s China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) and Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) respectively developed TJS-27A and TJS-27B.
The U.S. Space Force later tracked the pair in 1,153-kilometer altitude orbits with an inclination of 64.8 degrees. Former astrophysicist and space activity tracker Jonathan McDowell noted on social media platform X that the orbits are characteristic of time-delay-of-arrival (TDOA) electronic intelligence satellites, with the U.S. version being the classified Naval Ocean Surveillance System (NOSS) network of U.S. reconnaissance satellites. “China’s earlier missions in this orbit were given a Yaogan rather than TJS cover name,” McDowell noted.
Such satellites are thought primarily to be for electronic intelligence (ELINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) gathering. Yaogan and NOSS satellites are typically launched as triplets, orbiting in triangular formations. It is unclear if TJS-27A and B will operate as a pair or form the beginning of a partial constellation, or the deployment of a different approach.
TJS spacecraft are classified satellites that have, until this mission, largely been deployed in geosynchronous orbits, with a TJS-13 and TJS-21 sent to Molniya orbits. Meanwhile, TJS-3, launched in 2018, released an object which carried out subsequent maneuvers. This indicates it was a subsatellite capable of coordinated movements with TJS-3. The main satellite later made close approaches to U.S. satellites. The launch of TJS-27A and 27B appears to add a new, distinct mission type to the series.
Western analysts see the series as carrying out missions including signals intelligence, early warning missions and satellite inspection activities to support the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The Long March 6A is China’s first liquid propellant rocket to be bundled with solid rocket boosters. The launcher suffered early issues with fragmentation events in orbit after delivering payloads into orbit. It has been used to launch satellites for the Guowang and Qianfan megaconstellations, and also separately launched two Yaogan-50 satellites into unusual, highly-retrograde orbits.
Tianlian-3 (01) relay satellite
Just hours before the TJS-27A and B mission, China launched the first of a third generation of Chinese data relay communication satellite, which is similar in function to the U.S.’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), stationing satellites around geostationary orbit for continuous connectivity support.
A Long March 7A lifted from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center at 7:50 a.m. Eastern (1150 UTC) July 29, headed for geosynchronous transfer orbit. CASC announced launch success, announcing the payload to be Tianlian-3 (01).
CAST developed the satellite, which is part of a geostationary program to provide communications relay and tracking and control support for crewed spacecraft, the Tiangong space station and other missions. The launch followed less than a week after the launch of Tianlian-2 (06), which saw the mission’s Long March 3B launch vehicle struck by lightning on ascent.
The third gen satellites are based on the DFH-4E (enhanced) satellite bus, while the second generation used the standard DFH-4. CAST stated Tianlian-3 satellites are equipped with a new generation of payload products and the satellite’s multi-user parallel data transmission capability has been greatly enhanced. The first Tianlian satellite was launched in 2008, and the second generation began launch in 2019. The first gen launched on Long March 3C rockets, and the six Tianlian-2 series satellites launched on the Long March 3B.
Launch milestone and future ambitions
The launches were China’s 52nd and 53rd of 2026, with the country on course to exceed 100 launches in a calendar year for the first time.
The Long March 7A launch also marked the 50th successful mission from Wenchang, which opened in 2016. The spaceport has been used for major missions including the construction and resupply of the Tiangong space station and launching Mars and lunar sample return missions. It will host the launch of the Chang’e-7 lunar south pole landing mission later in August.
The spaceport will continue to enable a transformation in China’s space capabilities and ambitions. Facilities for the Long March 9 and Long March 10 rockets, designed for massive space infrastructure and crewed lunar missions respectively, are currently under construction at Wenchang.
