I recently wrote about the TJS-4 satellite, which the Chinese put into geostationary orbit. Based on the picture released during launch, I concluded it was a signal intelligence satellite, capable of collecting signals of "250MHz to 1.5GHz of frequency. It is even possible that smaller elements, not visible on the image, allow the satellite to… Continue reading TJS-4 antenna design documents uncovered
This article initially appeared on eastpendulum.com, a French-language blog about the Chinese military and aerospace industry On October 17th, 2019, China launched the TJS-4 satellite from the Xichang Space Center. It was carried towards geostationary orbit by a Long March 3B rocket. However, contrary to the civilian communication satellites which are often launched to this… Continue reading TJS-4, the ears of Beijing
This article initially appeared on eastpendulum.com, a French-language blog about the Chinese military and aerospace industry A few years ago, I wrote about the Yaogan-30 constellation, which is made out of Chinese military satellites in Low Earth Orbit. By then, it had two groups of three satellites each, with the second group still having to… Continue reading Some news on the Yaogan-30 constellation
Great power competition did not disappear with the end of the Cold War. Nowadays, tensions are rising between the USA with Trump's zero-sum-gain policies, Russia with its aggressive behaviour toward its neighbours, and finally China with its restored military and economic status. This competition takes many forms. Trade wars, alliances and propaganda campaigns are one.… Continue reading Detecting hypersonics
On July 31st, China added a new member to its Gaofen Earth Observation constellation: Gaofen-11 (GF-11) was launched atop a CZ-4B rocket. While the early Gaofen satellites were openly described by their designers, this one is a bit more obscure. It was not in the list of planned Gaofen satellites, and the launch caught observers… Continue reading GF-11: How do you say KENNEN in Chinese?
China is launching mysterious trios of spy satellites. What are they doing once in orbit?
An analysis of the Chinese reconnaissance satellites, and their maritime surveillance capabilities This article initially appeared on eastpendulum.com, a French-language blog about the Chinese military and aerospace industry Historical context Ever since the Communist Party conquered mainland China in 1949, the island of Taiwan has been a source of tension in the region. The defeated… Continue reading The Chinese maritime surveillance system
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