Satellites launched by the Peoples' Republic of China have been detected transmitting coherent pairs of frequencies near 180MHz (CW beacon and telemetry) and 480MHz (CW beacon). In all cases, the carrier frequency for the 180 MHz transmission is precisely three eighths that of the UHF beacon.
All satellites' transmissions are similar and have appeared to be continuous. Each carries two bands of telemetry and a pair of further carriers. In the case of Fengyun, the telemetry bands are 5 kHz each side of the main carrier with the other carriers at 10 kHz away from the main one. The CBERS/Zi-Yuan/Jian Bing satellites have telemetry bands at 20 kHz and the additional carriers at 40 kHz either side of the main carrier.
CBERS 1 also was also reported to have a transmission frequency near to 462.5 MHz, probably to trigger transmissions from remote data collection platforms monitoring climate conditions at sea or in relatively inaccessible land areas. CBERS 2 carries out a similar function. Transmissions on this frequency have not been detected.
Starting with the second Jian Bing 3 satellite, launched during 2003, no new transmissions have been reported, indication of a possible move either to transmission on demand over China, or to unified S-band.
Not all of these frequencies are currently active.
Freq (MHz) |
Satellite |
Payload |
Signal Type |
Notes
|
179.951 |
Jiang Bing 3A (Zi-Yuan 2)
2000-50A
26481 |
Remote Sensing |
CW carrier on centre frequency plus telemetry sidebands at +/- 20 kHz- and further carriers at +/- 40 kHz |
Coherent transmission at 479.865 MHz |
180.006 |
Fengyun 1C
1999-25A
25730 |
Meteorological imaging |
CW carrier on centre frequency plus telemetry sidebands at +/- 5 kHz- and further carriers at +/- 10 kHz |
Active transmitter until 2007 February when attacked in ground-based interceptor test
Coherent transmission at 480.017 MHz |
180.007 |
Fengyun 1D
2002-24A
27431 |
Meteorological Imaging |
CW carrier on centre frequency plus telemetry sidebands at +/- 5 kHz- and further carriers at +/- 10 kHz |
Coherent transmission at 480.017 MHz |
180.011 |
CBERS 1 (Zi-Yuan 1)
1999-57A
25940 |
Remote sensing |
CW carrier on centre frequency plus telemetry sidebands at +/- 20 kHz - and further carriers at +/- 40 kHz |
China Brasil Earth Resources Satellite
Coherent transmission at 480.025 MHz
Silent since mid 2003, the last public report being 2003 Jun 6 by Maik Hermenau of www.satellitenwelt.de |
180.013 |
CBERS 2B
2007-42A
32062 |
Remote sensing |
CW carrier on centre frequency plus telemetry sidebands at +/- 20 kHz- and further carriers at +/- 40 kHz |
China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite
Coherent transmission at 480.033 MHz |
180.014 |
CBERS 2A
2003-49A
28057 |
Remote sensing |
CW carrier on centre frequency plus telemetry sidebands at +/- 20 kHz- and further carriers at +/- 40 kHz |
China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite
Coherent transmission at 480.037 MHz
Ceased to transmit 2007 |
479.865 |
Jiang Bing 3A (Zi-Yuan 2)
2000-50A
26481 |
Remote sensing |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at at 179.951 MHz |
480.017 |
Fengyun 1D
2002-24A
27431 |
Meteorological Imaging |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at 180.007 MHz |
480.019 |
Fengyun 1C
1999-25A
25730 |
Remote sensing |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Active transmitter until 2007 February when attacked in ground-based interceptor test
Coherent transmission at 180.007 MHz |
480.025 |
CBERS 1 (Zi-Yuan 1)
1999-57A
25940 |
Remote sensing |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
China Brasil Earth Resources Satellite
Coherent transmission at 180.011 MHz - silent since mid-2003 |
480.033 |
CBERS 2B
2007-42A
32063 |
Remote sensing |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite
Coherent transmission at 180.013 MHz |
480.037 |
CBERS 2A
2003-49A
28057 |
Remote sensing |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite
Coherent transmission at 180.014 MHz |
2202.000 |
Beidou 1M |
Navigation satellite |
Carrier plus multiple sidebands |
Probably no longer transmitting |
2234.520 |
Chang'e 1
2007-51A
32273 |
Lunar orbiting satellite |
CW carrier plus data sidebands and secondary carriers - two modes - 2 MHz bandwidth and 256 kHz bandwidth |
Lunar probe built and launched by the Peoples' Republic of China, originally tracked in HEO and then followed to the Moon - easily detectable with simple equipment; since arrival at the Moon, Chang'e has been transmitting internittently on command from ground stations |
