HY-1C Automatic Identification System

HY-1C Automatic Identification System (AIS) is the satellite AIS receiver payload flown on HY-1C for collecting ship location data from maritime AIS transmissions.^[1][2] It is a nadir-viewing data-collection component rather than an imaging sensor.^[2] HY-1C launched 7 Sep 2018, and the AIS payload has been active from Sep 2018 with end of life at least 2026.^[1] The same spacecraft carries COCTS, CZI, UVI, AIS and SCS, so the AIS component adds ship-broadcast reception to a broader ocean mission payload set.^[1][3] The payload role is maritime signal reception from orbit: it collects vessel-position broadcasts for ship-location awareness.^[2]