China’s SJ-31 Satellite In Position to Monitor GEO from an Unusual Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO)
Written by Greg Gillinger On 16 June 2026, China launched a Long March 3B/E from Xichang carrying Shijian-31 (SJ-31) (69570). Initial TLE data from SpaceTrack indicates the satellite is operating in a highly elliptical orbit (HEO) with an inclination of approximately 63.4° and an eccentricity of 0.69—consistent with a Molniya-type orbit. The satellite has an […]
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