TJS 1, 4, 9 (Qianshao-3 1, 2, 3 ?)

TJS 4 (main reflector not deployed) [CCTV]

TJS 1 (Tongxin Jishu Shiyan) is a Chinese geostationary satellite billed as a communications technology test satellite, but which is likely a military SIGINT mission.

The satellite is repordedly mainly used to conduct a test on Ka-band in broadband communication. Also it has been reported, that it features a large unfulable dish antenna of ~32 m diameter. It has been positioned at 154.5° East.

The lack of public information has lead to the suspiction, that this satellite has a military mission. It has been speculated, that the satellite might be in fact a military Qianshao-3 SIGINT satellite.

TJS 1 was launched in September 2015 on a CZ-3B/G2 rocket.

A second sarellite of this type, TJS 4 (Tongxin Jishu Shiyan), was launched in October 2019 into a geostationary transfer orbit.

Reportedly the satellite was built by CAST and is a technological demonstration of multi-band, high speed communication techniques. The launch animation showed a satellite featuring a deployable mesh antenna and a number of smaller antennas, hinting to a SIGINT mission.