# ZY-3 02
*missions*

## Specifications
- **operator**: cnsa
- **actual launch**: 2016-05-30
- **current status**: operational
- **orbit type**: SSO, 505 km
- **tasking supported**: false
- **entity type**: mission
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-04
- **verified by**: sw
- **claim status**: unclaimed
- **provider**: cnsa
- **attributes**: {"operator":"cnsa","actual_launch":"2016-05-30","current_status":"operational","orbit_type":"SSO, 505 km","tasking_supported":false}

## Editorial
ZY-3 02 (ZiYuan-3 02) is the second satellite in China's ZiYuan-3 civil stereoscopic mapping series, operated by CNSA and manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). It launched on 30 May 2016 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center into a sun-synchronous orbit.[^gunters-zy3][^oscar-zy3-02]

The satellite carries a stereoscopic camera system and an experimental laser altimeter operating at 1064 nm.[^pmc-zy302-altimeter] Peer-reviewed literature describes ZY-3 02 as the first Chinese satellite equipped with an experimental spaceborne laser altimeter; the instrument measures ground elevation to support 1:50,000-scale topographic mapping and land surface monitoring.[^pmc-zy302-altimeter][^eoportal-zy3a]

The operational altitude is approximately 505 to 506 km, as recorded by WMO OSCAR and the CEOS EO Handbook.[^oscar-zy3-02][^ceos-zy3-02] Launch tracking sources recorded an initial insertion orbit of approximately 484 x 500 km that subsequently circularised to the station-keeping value.[^gunters-zy3]

Data management for the ZY-3 series is handled by the Satellite Surveying and Mapping Application Center (SASMAC) under the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). ZY-3 02 was designed for a five-year operational lifetime according to Gunter's Space Page;[^gunters-zy3] the satellite was continuing to operate beyond that design period as of the research date.

## Compositional position
- ZY-3 02 --[mission_payloads]--> ziyuan-3-laser-altimeter (products)
- ZY-3 02 --[related-topic]--> land-cover-change (topics)
- ZY-3 02 --[related-topic]--> geology (topics)
- ZY-3 02 --[related-topic]--> subsidence (topics)
- ZY-3 02 --[related-topic]--> forest-structure (topics)
- ZY-3 02 --[related-topic]--> sea-level (topics)

## Sources
- [gunters-zy3] | ZY-3 series, Gunter's Space Page | https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/zy-3.htm | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-04
- [oscar-zy3-02] | WMO OSCAR - ZY-3-02 | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/satellites/view/zy_3_02 | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-04
- [ceos-zy3-02] | ZY-3-02 Mission Summary, CEOS EO Handbook | https://database.eohandbook.com/database/missionsummary.aspx?missionID=821 | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-04
- [pmc-zy302-altimeter] | ZY3-02 Laser Altimeter Footprint Geolocation Prediction, Sensors 2017 | https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5677141/ | tier=peer-reviewed | accessed=2026-06-04
- [eoportal-zy3a] | ZY-3A mission overview, eoPortal | https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/zy-3a | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-04

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/zy-3-02
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)