According to two American companies, which are engaged in tracking satellites, Chinese satellites, authentically, are trying to carry out the first ever refueling in orbit.
This was reported by Breaking Defense. Chinese satellite, intended for refueling, approached extremely close to another Chinese satellite in orbit. It, According to companies, it indicates, that China is likely, is about to perform – or has already performed – the first ever in-orbit refueling.
Last week, Slingshot Aerospace observed, as China's SJ-25 experimental satellite, which, according to official statements, intended for refueling missions, approached another satellite - SJ-21. However, ground-based telescopes could not confirm the docking, so Slingshot concluded, what is the data about that, what exactly happened, are "inconclusive".
"If the docking really took place, then the duration of this event would not exceed three hours", – a Slingshot representative told Breaking Defense about the event 13 June.
COMSPOC representative, another space tracking company, confirmed, what 13 In June, two satellites approached each other at a distance 1 kilometer and "maybe, docked".
Although the objects moved away from each other the next day, "now they are approaching again, and, according to forecasts, the closest approach will take place 23 June". This indicates a possible second attempt.
“Chinese Shijian satellites, intended for inspection and repair, also demonstrate advanced approach operations. Which ones, despite that, which are positioned as peaceful, use dual purpose technologies, such as robotic arms and precision maneuvers. They can be adapted for anti-space missions and jamming satellites", - a representative of the US Space Force told Breaking Defense on Tuesday.
IN 2022 In 2018, SJ-21 docked with a defunct satellite of the Beidou positioning system and pulled it out of geosynchronous Earth orbit into the so-called graveyard orbit, where defunct spacecraft are disposed of.
Although China claims the SJ-21 as a space debris removal experiment, US military officials regularly speculate, that it could be used as a weapon to knock American satellites out of orbit.
Source: https://militarnyi.com