3 In July, China launched the classified Shiyan-28B satellite (01) The Long March 4C rocket from the Space Shanan. Although the CASC State Corporation has confirmed successful launch within an hour, The assignment of the device remained foggy. The results of orbital tracking caused even more surprise: the satellite ended up in an orbit with a very low inclination - only 11°, which is unusual for Chinese space missions.
Delay in detection of flight anomalies
Usually, objects are fixed within 1-2 days after launch, ale Shiyan-28B (01) was cataloged by the US Space Force just six days later — 9 July, under number 2025-145A. Observations have shown, that the device is in a circular orbit with an altitude of about 793–796 km, but with an unusually low inclination to the equator — 11°.
This indicates that, that the third stage of the rocket, probably, performed energy-consuming “dogleg maneuver” — changing the direction of the flight already after the start. This is a rare tactic, especially for launches from the Xichang Mainland Spaceport, where trajectories are usually planned like this, to avoid falling grades in populated areas.
What is known about the satellite?
The only official formulation sounds like “exploration of the space environment and testing of related technologies”. This is a typical generalization for the Shiyan series of satellites — the platform, which are testing new sensors, communication systems, navigation or scientific instruments before that, how these technologies will end up on combat or scientific vehicles.
Who created the Shiyan-28B?
The developer was the Innovation Institute of Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAMCAS) — institution, known for its small experimental satellites, in particular, the dark matter probe DAMPE and the quantum apparatus QUESS.
Interesting, that the Shiyan-28B mission patch has symbology—three eight-pointed stars and a stylized image of a bonfire—that may hint at the program's specificity or reusability.
Possible goals: South China Sea and Indian Ocean
Thanks to this orbit, the satellite regularly flies over the South China Sea, and also over parts of the Indian Ocean, which raises suspicions about possible targets — regional monitoring, radio reconnaissance or communications testing. Additionally, mark “B” in the title may refer to the deployment of a new series of experimental satellites in low, low-inclination orbits.
Source: https://spacenews.com/experimental-chinese-satellite-turns-up-in-unexpected-orbit/