Chinese satellite pulls another satellite out of orbit

The Shijian-21 satellite flew close to another decommissioned satellite and pulled it high, to a graveyard orbit for dead satellites.

Exoanalytic Solutions, a satellite tracking company contracted to provide data to the US Space Force in 2021, discovered the Chinese satellite Shijian-21 (SJ-21) disappeared from its normal orbit on January 22. .

The Long March 3B rocket launched the Shijian-21 satellite into space.

The SJ-21 then flew close to a decommissioned satellite of China's BeiDou Navigation System. Next, SJ-21 proceeds to pull this satellite out of geosynchronous orbit and then "escort" it higher, to the graveyard orbit for dead satellites, avoiding the risk of impact or collision touch with the active satellite.

"We continue to monitor and monitor SJ-21 to detect its association with any known space objects. The ability to maintain surveillance of SJ-21 after this satellite pull event is a possibility. unique and important capabilities of the commercial Spatial Situational Awareness (SSA) network at Exoanalytic Solutions," said Brian Flewelling, chief SSA architect at Exoanalytic Solutions.

SJ-21 flew into space on October 24, 2021 thanks to the Long March 3B rocket. This satellite is designed to test and verify technologies to reduce space junk.

Last November, experts discovered SJ-21 moving near an unidentified object, seemingly a deliberate synchronicity. China has not confirmed the object, but the US Space Force believes it may be a used AKM rocket engine. Others argue that it is an experimental device designed to test the capabilities of the SJ-21.

While the SJ-21 may only serve the purpose of peacefully shifting satellites, some experts fear the technology will be used to re-orbit any satellite, bringing it to a meaningful orbit. land or fly towards the Earth.

The US Space Force has also commissioned Northrop Grumman to develop a satellite with a robotic arm that can repair and relocate other satellites in orbit. Northrop Grumman has already tested the technology in space, and the fully operational device is scheduled to launch in 2024.