ZY Satellite Bus

Data current as of 2026-07-20.

The ZY bus accounts for 19 cataloged objects, of which 15 are in orbit and 11 are active. 3 have reentered. Most are built by CAST. The largest operator on this bus is ZZWYZ. The first launched in 1999, the most recent in 2026.

15
In orbit
11
Active
19
Total launched
3
Reentered

ZY launched per year

1 2 1999: 1 object launched 2000: 1 launched, 1 since reentered 2001: 0 objects launched 2002: 1 launched, 1 since reentered 2003: 1 object launched 2004: 1 object launched 2005: 0 objects launched 2006: 0 objects launched 2007: 1 object launched 2008: 0 objects launched 2009: 0 objects launched 2010: 0 objects launched 2011: 1 object launched 2012: 1 object launched 2013: 0 objects launched 2014: 1 object launched 2015: 0 objects launched 2016: 1 object launched 2017: 1 object launched 2018: 0 objects launched 2019: 2 objects launched 2020: 2 launched, 1 since reentered 2021: 1 object launched 2022: 1 object launched 2023: 0 objects launched 2024: 0 objects launched 2025: 1 object launched 2026: 1 object launched 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 2024
Still in orbit Since reentered Click a year to list its satellites.

Typical specifications

Most common values across cataloged ZY satellites.

Manufacturer CAST
Purpose Earth Observation
Launch mass 1450 kg
Dry mass 1400 kg
Length 1.8 m
Diameter 2 m
Span 9 m
Shape Box + Pan
Power Deployable solar array, batteries
Propulsion AOCS 20N
Design life 2 years
Equipment 3 panchromatic cameras, 1 multispectral imager.
Typical orbit 100 min period, 98° inclination

Top operators

ZZWYZ 5 GCDX/ZZWYZ 4 ZZWYZ/INPE 4 ZZB 3 CAST/INPE 1 CNSA 1

Top countries

CN 17 PRC 2

ZY satellites

Track any of them live in KeepTrack.

Name NORAD COSPAR Owner Launched Orbit Status Track
DAQI-2 68760 2026-084A ZZWYZ Apr 17, 2026 99 min, 98.3° Inactive
ZY 3 04 67131 2025-300A GCDX/ZZWYZ Dec 16, 2025 95 min, 97.5° Active
DAQI 1 Daqi Huanjing Jiance Weixing 52257 2022-039A ZZWYZ Apr 15, 2022 99 min, 98.1° Active
ZY-1 02E Zi Yuan 1-02E 50465 2021-131A ZZWYZ Dec 26, 2021 100 min, 98.4° Active
CZ-4B DEB deb CZ-4B 45943 2020-051E GCDX/ZZWYZ Jul 25, 2020 88 min, 97.5° Reentered
ZINYUAN-3 Zi Yuan 3-03 45939 2020-051A GCDX/ZZWYZ Jul 25, 2020 95 min, 97.5° Active
CBERS 4A Zi Yuan 1-04A 44883 2019-093E ZZWYZ/INPE Dec 20, 2019 97 min, 98.0° Active
ZY-1 02D Zi Yuan 1-02D 44528 2019-059A ZZWYZ Sep 12, 2019 100 min, 98.7° Active
HXMT (HUIYAN) Huiyan 42758 2017-034A CNSA Jun 15, 2017 95 min, 43.0° Active
ZIYUAN 3-2 (ZY 3-2) Zi Yuan 3-02 41556 2016-033A GCDX/ZZWYZ May 30, 2016 95 min, 97.4° Active
CBERS 4 Zi Yuan 1-04 40336 2014-079A ZZWYZ/INPE Dec 7, 2014 100 min, 98.4° Active
ZIYUAN 3-1 (ZY 3-1) Zi Yuan 3-01 38046 2012-001A GCDX/ZZWYZ Jan 9, 2012 88 min, 97.1° Inactive
ZIYUAN 1-02C (ZY 1-02C) Zi Yuan 1-02C 38038 2011-079A ZZWYZ Dec 22, 2011 100 min, 98.4° Active
CBERS 2B Zi Yuan 1-02B 32062 2007-042A ZZWYZ/INPE Sep 19, 2007 100 min, 98.4° Inactive
JB-3 3 (ZY 2C) Zi Yuan 2-03 28470 2004-044A ZZB Nov 6, 2004 95 min, 97.3° Active
CBERS 2 (ZY 1B) Zi Yuan 1-02 28057 2003-049A ZZWYZ/INPE Oct 21, 2003 100 min, 98.8° Inactive
JB-3 2 (ZY 2B) Zi Yuan 2-02 27550 2002-049A ZZB Oct 27, 2002 87 min, 97.1° Reentered
JB-3 1 (ZY 2A) Zi Yuan 2-01 26481 2000-050A ZZB Sep 1, 2000 87 min, 97.1° Reentered
CBERS 1 (ZY 1A) Zi Yuan 1-01 25940 1999-057A CAST/INPE Oct 14, 1999 100 min, 98.8° Inactive

Frequently asked questions

How many ZY satellites are there?

The catalog lists 19 objects built on the ZY bus. 15 are in orbit and 3 have reentered.

How many ZY satellites are in orbit?

15 ZY objects are currently in orbit, of which 11 carry an active status.

Who builds the ZY bus?

The ZY bus is most commonly built by CAST.

When did the first ZY satellite launch?

The first cataloged ZY satellite launched in 1999, and the most recent in 2026.

Satellite data compiled by KeepTrack from CelesTrak, Space-Track, and GCAT, provided under CC BY-NC 4.0.