# ZY-3 04
*missions*

## Specifications
- **operator**: cnsa
- **actual launch**: 2025-12-16
- **current status**: operational
- **orbit type**: SSO, 505 km
- **tasking supported**: false
- **entity type**: mission
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-04
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: unclaimed
- **provider**: cnsa
- **attributes**: {"operator":"cnsa","actual_launch":"2025-12-16","current_status":"operational","orbit_type":"SSO, 505 km","tasking_supported":false}

## Editorial
ZY-3 04 (ZiYuan-3 04) is the fourth 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 16 December 2025 (UTC) from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.[^cnsa-zy304-launch][^gunters-zy3] CNSA's launch announcement stated the event at 11:17 a.m. Beijing Time on 17 December 2025, corresponding to 03:17 UTC on 16 December.[^cnsa-zy304-launch]

The satellite carries a stereo camera, a multispectral imager, and a laser altimeter, consistent with the ZiYuan-3 series payload suite.[^cnsa-zy304-launch] It flies in a sun-synchronous orbit at approximately 505 km altitude, continuing the series configuration of ZY-3 02 and ZY-3 03.[^gunters-zy3]

ZY-3 04 supports national mapping, land survey, and natural resource monitoring applications.

## Compositional position
- ZY-3 04 --[mission_payloads]--> ziyuan-3-laser-altimeter (products)
- ZY-3 04 --[related-topic]--> land-cover-change (topics)
- ZY-3 04 --[related-topic]--> geology (topics)
- ZY-3 04 --[related-topic]--> subsidence (topics)
- ZY-3 04 --[related-topic]--> forest-structure (topics)
- ZY-3 04 --[related-topic]--> sea-level (topics)

## Sources
- [cnsa-zy304-launch] | China launches new stereo mapping satellite (ZY-3-04), CNSA | https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/english/n6465652/n6465653/c10722800/content.html | tier=operator-press | accessed=2026-06-04
- [gunters-zy3] | ZY-3 series, Gunter's Space Page | https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/zy-3.htm | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-04
- [nextspaceflight-zy304] | Ziyuan-3 04 launch details, NextSpaceflight | https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/8086/ | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-04

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/zy-3-04
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)