Kuaizhou-11 RMB 3 Launches Two C-Band SAR Satellites in First Commercial Mid-Inclination InSAR Constellation

At 10:40 on 17 September 2026, a Kuaizhou-11 RMB 3 launch vehicle placed two C-band SAR satellites, Caiyun SAR01 and Xinglianti Tianyuan YG01, into their planned orbits from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The solar arrays and SAR antennas of both satellites deployed normally, and telemetry parameters remained stable, marking a complete success for the launch mission. This is the first group of commercial mid-inclination InSAR remote-sensing satellites to successfully enter orbit. The satellites use a mid-inclination orbit design of 55 degrees and are intended for high-frequency revisit monitoring of low- and mid-latitude regions.

The launch was Tianyi Space's 25th space mission. Caiyun SAR01 was developed jointly by the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Exploration and Development, Yunnan Geology and Mineral Group, and Tianyi Space; Xinglianti Tianyuan YG01 was developed jointly by Xinglianti (Wuxi) Aerospace Technology and Tianyi Space. Tianyi Space has now sent a total of 43 satellites into their planned orbits. The entry of YG01 into orbit marks the official start of the Tianyuan constellation program. The satellite can use multi-temporal radar continuous observation and differential data analysis to identify subtle surface displacements at the millimeter level, supporting surface deformation monitoring for urban land subsidence, landslides, and hidden geological hazard sites, and can conduct high-precision monitoring under all-day, all-weather conditions.

The Tianyuan constellation is a high- and low-orbit integrated communication, sensing, and computing constellation built by Xinglianti, using an open "1+216+N" architecture: one high-orbit satellite, 216 low-orbit satellites, and satellites to be expanded on demand in the future. According to plans disclosed by Xinglianti, the company will advance the first batch of operational satellites into network formation and promote commercial applications in 2027, complete the full first-phase "1+216" constellation in 2028 and generate large-scale market revenue, and start construction of the second-phase "Thousand Satellite Plan" in 2029.

Xinglianti has currently connected satellite data resources from several companies, including Tianyi Space, Galaxy Space, and Minospace, and during periods of frequent disasters coordinates multiple constellations and satellites for concentrated observation of key areas. Under the plan, two more SAR satellites developed by Galaxy Space and Xinglianti are to be launched during the week of 17 September 2026, and one more satellite developed with Minospace is planned for launch within 2026. In line with national civil space infrastructure construction plans, Tianyi Space is advancing a global network of 120 high-performance SAR satellites.