The ShiJian 6 satellite group consists of two ShiJian 6 satellites designed and manufactured by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST, also known as CASC 8th Academy) and Dongfanghong Satellite Co. Ltd. respectively. The satellite has always been launched in pairs by a single CZ-4B launch vehicle from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre. The satellite has a designed service life of more than two years. The first pair ShiJian 6A/B were launched on 9 September 2004, followed by the second pair ShiJian 6C/D on 24 October 2006, and a third pair ShiJian 6E/F on 25 October 2008.
Chinese media described the missions of the ShiJian 6 as “exploration of space environment, radiation in space and their influence, parameters of physical environment of the space, and to carry out other related space experiments”. Some analysts believed that the ShiJian 6 satellite group (or at least one in the pair) is undertaking certain signal intelligence (SIGINT) missions, but this cannot be confirmed.
