Radio Frequencies - Chinese Satellites and Spacecraft

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. Chinese satellites and the piloted spacraft, Shenzhou, can also be found transmitting at S-band frequencies.

The 180 MHz transmissions are similar and appear to be continuous for the active life of the vehicle and the same is true at 480 MHz. 180 MHz 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. At 480 MHz the transmission is a simple CW tone.

CBERS 1, a joint Chinese and Brazilian project, 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. The two CBERS 2 satellites were designed to carry out a similar function. No transmissions at this frequency have been reported by amateur trackers.

Not all of these frequencies are currently active and the list includes historic frequencies - specifically the HF ones used by China's first two satellites.

Freq (MHz)	Satellite	Payload	Signal Type	Notes
2202.000	Beidou 5 (Beidou 5 (2A)) 2007-011A 31115	Navigation satellite	Carrier plus multiple sidebands	Probably no longer transmitting - initially tracked from Europe but line of sight lost as it approached the operational location near 140° east
180.011	CBERS 1 1999-057A 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
480.025	CBERS 1 1999-057A 25940	Remote sensing	CW - Doppler tracking beacon	China Brasil Earth Resources Satellite - Coherent transmission at 180.011 MHz - silent since mid-2003
180.014	CBERS 2 2003-049A 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
480.037	CBERS 2 2003-049A 28057	Remote sensing	CW - Doppler tracking beacon	China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite - Coherent transmission at 180.014 MHz, ceased to transmit 2007
180.013	CBERS 2B 2007-042A 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, also transmits 2204.400 MHz
2204.400	CBERS 2B 2007-042A 32062	Remote sensing	CW carrier plus data sidebands	China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite - also transmits 180.013 MHz and 480.033 MHz
480.033	CBERS 2B 2007-042A 32062	Remote sensing	CW - Doppler tracking beacon	China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite - Coherent transmission at 180.013 MHz, also transmits at 2204.400 MHz
2234.520	Chang'e 1 2007-051A 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
19.995	China 2 (Shi Jian) 1971-018A 5007	Engineering experiments	Pulse position data modulation	Second satellite launch by the PRC - initial transmissions at 20.006 MHz then changed to this frequency - Transmission was continuous until re-entry in 1979 through natural orbital decay
20.006	China 2 (Shi Jian) 1971-018A 5007	Engineering experiments	Tone-based telemetry	Second satellite launch by the PRC - transmissions may have been from the final-stage rocket - After a few days, the 200.006 MHz transmission was replaced by one at 19.995 MHz
20.006	DFH-1 1970-034A 4382	Technology demonstrator	Tone-based telemetry plus tune 'The East is Red'	First satellite launch by the PRC
180.006	Fengyun 1C 1999-025A 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
480.019	Fengyun 1C 1999-025A 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
180.007	Fengyun 1D 2002-024B 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
480.017	Fengyun 1D 2002-024B 27431	Meteorological Imaging	CW - Doppler tracking beacon	Coherent transmission at 180.007 MHz
2273.520	Haiyang 1B 2007-010A 31113	Oceanic Remote Sensing	CW plus data sidebands	Weak
2241.600	Huan Jing 1A (HJ-1A) 2008-041A 33320	Disaster monitoring within China	CW plus data side-bands	Part of constellation
2209.795	Huan Jing 1B (HJ-1B) 2008-041B 33321	Disaster monitoring within China	CW plus data sidebands	Part of constellation
2224.065	Shenzhou 7 2008-047A 33386	Piloted spacecraft	CW carrier plus side-bands	PRC piloted spacecraft - frequency first detected during the Shenzhou 7 mission (2008 September) by Richard Flagg, Hawaii USA - transmission is probably continuous while in orbit
2212.810	Yaogan 1 2006-015A 29092	Remote sensing, possible military connection - reportedly equipped with a synthetic aperture radar	CW carrier (+sidebands?)	Does not transmit on all passes - European observations are on southbound passes (these occur between passes over the PRC mainland)
2212.810	Yaogan 3 2007-055A 32289	Remote sensing, possible military connection - reportedly equipped with a synthetic aperture radar	CW carrier (+sidebands?)	Does not transmit on all passes - European observations are on southbound passes (these occur between passes over the PRC mainland)
179.951	Zi Yuan 2 (Jiang Bing 3A) 2000-050A 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
479.865	Zi Yuan 2 (Jiang Bing 3A) 2000-050A 26481	Remote sensing	CW - Doppler tracking beacon	Coherent transmission at at 179.951 MHz