The Yaogan 8 (Remote Sensing Satellite-8) government remote sensing satellite, likely also used as a military reconnaissance satellite, was launched by CZ-4C rocket from China's Taiyuan space center on 15. December 2009. It is the first of a new generation of optical reconnaissance satellites.
YG-8 was built by the Aerospace Shanghai Technical Institute of th China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. The optical payload on YG-8 was developed by the Changchun Light Technology Institute.
A second satellite of this class, Yaogan 15, was successfully launched on 29 May 2012. The third satellite, Yaogan 19, followed on 20 November 2013. A fourth satellite, Yaogan 22, was launched 20 October 2014. The fifth satellite, Yaogan 27, was put into orbit on 27 August 2015.
