SHIJIAN-31 (SJ-31)

MilitaryHEOMolniyaGTOChina

SHIJIAN-31 (SJ-31) is a military satellite, as listed in Jonathan McDowell's GCAT catalogue, with ownership listed as China in CelesTrak's catalogue, currently in a highly elliptical orbit ranging from 1,992 km to 39,897 km. It completes one orbit of Earth roughly every 749 minutes at an inclination of 63.5°. It was launched in 2026. Track its live position and see when it passes over your location on azmth.

Orbital data

NORAD ID: 69570
COSPAR ID: 2026-136A
Type: Military
Orbit: HEO
Perigee (lowest): 1,992 km
Apogee (highest): 39,897 km
Inclination: 63.48°
Orbital period: 749 min
Launch year: 2026
Owner (CelesTrak): China

Orbital data updated: 2026-10-30 · from CelesTrak, refreshed every 2 hours.

Who operates it

ChinaLIVEActive

Technology test

Official description

“The Shijian-31 satellite is mainly used for space environment detection.”

Xinhua, 16 Jun 2026

azmth's translation · Show original

实践三十一号卫星主要用于空间环境探测。

“The Shijian-31 satellite is mainly used for space environment detection.”

Xinhua, 17 Jun 2026

azmth's translation · Show original

实践三十一号卫星主要用于空间环境探测。

Independent assessment

GCAT classes it as a military satellite for technology testing and records it as active (17 Oct 2026).

Data: GCAT · CC BY 4.0 Class, mission and status adapted from GCAT by Jonathan McDowell, CC BY 4.0, data update 17 Oct 2026.

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About HEO orbit

Highly Elliptical Orbit. An elongated orbit that swings close to Earth at perigee and far away at apogee. Includes Molniya and Tundra orbits used for high-latitude coverage.