West Asia conflict: All about TEE-01B, the Chinese satellite used by Iran to track US bases in Middle East

West Asia crisis: Iran used a Chinese spy satellite to capture and target US bases in the Middle East in the ongoing West Asia conflict. Tehran secretly brought the satellite in 2024, according to a report in the Financial Times. 

The satellite, identified as the TEE-01B satellite, captured images of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 13, 14, and 15. On March 14, US President Donald Trump confirmed that US planes at the bases were hit, the FT mentioned. 

As per the report, the satellite also monitored the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and locations close to the US Fifth Fleet naval base in Bahrain and Erbil Airport in Iraq, around the time of attacks on facilities in those areas. 

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What is TEE-01B? 

It is a high-resolution earth observation satellite reportedly used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to monitor and target US military bases across the Middle East. 

Who has manufactured the satellite? 

The satellite was developed by Earth Eye Co, aka Beijing Earth Eye Co, a private Chinese firm that markets high-resolution remote sensing technology. The TEE-01B satellite was launched on June 6, 2024, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert, China's oldest and most active spaceport used for civilian and high-priority military payloads. 

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When did Iran get this satellite? 

In late 2024, the IRGC Aerospace Force finalised a deal to buy the satellite for around $36.6 million. This was a commercial transaction between the IRGC and Beijing Earth Eye Co., unlike public government-to-government sales. 

What are its technical capabilities?

According to the Financial Times report, the satellite can capture imagery at around half-metre resolution, i.e., it can distinguish between different types of fighter jets or identify specific support vehicles on a base. 

Iran operates these missiles through a network of commercial ground stations managed by Emposat, a Beijing-based satellite service provider. The agreement between IRGC and Emposat allows the IRGC to tell the satellite exactly when and where to take a picture, giving real-time intelligence for active military ops. 

Iran's domestic Noor satellites have significantly lower resolution, i.e., 5-10 metres, and are useful for general terrain mapping but not for granular target tracking needed for precision missile strikes. 

TEE-01B uses advanced optical imaging systems that can capture high-fidelity images even in challenging atmospheric situations.