Concurring to later ground-based optical perceptions by a private space-surveillance firm, the two satellites — Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 — have undocked/separated in geosynchronous circle (close the geostationary belt, ~ 35,786 km over Soil) after being connected for a few months.
Behind The Black
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Universe Space Tech
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The partition was to begin with famous on 29 November 2025, reflecting that the “docked pair” are presently autonomous objects once more.
Behind The Black
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Their circle presently appears an slant of around 4.6 degrees relative to GEO, demonstrating they are no longer entirely geostationary.
Universe Space Tech
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Taken together, these perceptions emphatically propose that a major test mission — including docking, adjusting (likely refueling), and consequent division — has concluded.
Universe Space Tech
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South China Morning Post
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What Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 are — and why this matters
Background on the satellites
Shijian-25 was propelled on 7 January 2025 by a Long Walk 3B rocket, from the Xichang Obsequious Dispatch Center in southwest China. Its announced mission: to test on-orbit refueling and lackey life-extension advances.
China Daily
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china-in-space.com
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Shijian-21 propelled back in October 2021. Already, in 2022, it had as of now utilized much of its fuel in a mission to tow a outdated fawning (a route adj. from the BeiDou group of stars) to a higher “graveyard orbit” — portion of space-debris-mitigation endeavors.
South China Morning Post
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china-in-space.com
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Because Shijian-21 had about drained its fuel, it made for a great candidate to test refueling: Shijian-25 seem dock with it, exchange force, and in this manner “recharge” it — amplifying its operational life.
EURASIAN TIMES
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South China Morning Post
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Why this test things (on the off chance that successful)
On-orbit refueling is considered a significant capability for amplifying the life expectancy of satellites — possibly diminishing the require to dispatch substitutions, sparing fetched, and diminishing space flotsam and jetsam.
South China Morning Post
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china-in-space.com
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Demonstrating this in geosynchronous circle (GEO) — at ~ 36,000 km height — is particularly noteworthy: numerous communication, route, and observation satellites work in GEO; empowering refueling for them might significantly move how adherent armadas are kept up and overseen.
South China Morning Post
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Space Dispatch Schedule
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For the nation illustrating it — in this case China — it may surrender vital preferences: superior sustainment of key satellites, lower taken a toll over time, and indeed the capacity to repurpose or expand debased satellites instep of disposing of them.
Former U.S. Space-Command authorities commented that the move executed by the two satellites constituted “the biggest single move ever seen in geosynchronous orbit.”
South China Morning Post
That underscores fair how driven and possibly game-changing this test may be.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Known / emphatically indicated
The disciple combine were watched doing “rendezvous and vicinity operations (RPO)” in June–July 2025: different near approaches, counting one where they clearly floated inside ~1 km, taken after by clear docking.
South China Morning Post
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South China Morning Post
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Between 2–6 July 2025, optical sensor information appeared them “visually merged” — recommending they were physically docked.
South China Morning Post
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china-in-space.com
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They remained connected from at that point until late November 2025, after which autonomous following information appeared them isolated once more.
Behind The Black
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Universe Space Tech
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After division, their circles contrast marginally (slanted ~4.6° to GEO), steady with post-service orbital alterations.
Universe Space Tech
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What is not (however) confirmed
No official open declaration from Chinese space specialists expressly affirms that a fruitful force exchange (refueling) happened. Eyewitnesses and specialists induce refueling “probably” happened — but no difficult, open verification.
Behind The Black
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Space Dispatch Schedule
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The exact specialized handle — e.g. whether a automated arm was utilized, how much fuel was exchanged, whether pumps/valves worked, and how the docking interface was planned — remains obscure. Chinese offices have been generally noiseless on points of interest.
china-in-space.com
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Universe Space Tech
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Also hazy: whether this capability will be amplified to operational satellites (e.g. civilian communications or route satellites), or stay a innovation exhibit for presently.
South China Morning Post
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Behind The Black
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So whereas this looks like a fruitful exhibit of fawning overhauling in GEO — possibly counting refueling — affirmation is still actually “circumstantial,” based on autonomous following and analysis.
Suggestions — What this might cruel for the space industry, geopolitics, and future missions
Longer partisan lifetimes: If on-orbit refueling gets to be a standard capability, adj. administrators may drastically expand benefit lives, diminishing the recurrence (and fetched) of propelling substitutions. This would moreover decrease space-debris generation.
Flexible disciple overhauling / repurposing: Satellites that are running moo on fuel — or indeed those decommissioned — may in guideline be “recharged” or reactivated, or moved to distinctive circles, advertising distant more flexibility.
Deep-space / Moon / Defaces missions back: As a few examiners note, refueling in circle is a key innovation for empowering more driven missions — counting manned Moon or Defaces voyages, where shuttle may require to refuel some time recently flight or halfway.
Interesting Engineering
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Universe Space Tech
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Strategic / military suggestions: Since numerous key resources — communications, early-warning, spy satellites — work in GEO, the capacity to benefit them in circle gives a nation a determined advantage. It might too complicate space-traffic and “who observes whom” flow, particularly if such maneuvers are done with constrained straightforwardness.
South China Morning Post
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South China Morning Post
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Rise of “servicing economy”: As circle adjusting (refueling, repairs, overhauls) gets to be doable, a modern segment of space operations may develop — modifying the worldview from “launch once, at that point retire” to “launch + keep up + reuse.” In fact, industry investigators anticipate the in-orbit overhauling advertise to develop significantly over the another decade.
TS2 Tech
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Interesting Engineering
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Some in the worldwide space community propose that if this test is affirmed, China may have pulled ahead of other major space powers (which had arranged comparative capabilities) in illustrating independent adj. adjusting at GEO elevation.
South China Morning Post
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South China Morning Post
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What to observe — up and coming signals and what remains to be verified
Over the following few months, a few improvements will be vital to evaluate the victory and real-world affect of this mission:
Tracking of Shijian-21’s execution: On the off chance that, after division, Shijian-21 performs fuel-intensive maneuvers (e.g. circle changes, station-keeping, elevation alterations), that would unequivocally show it was undoubtedly refueled. Eyewitnesses will observe for such signs.
Further revelation — from Chinese organizations or free examiners: Official affirmation or specialized divulgences (e.g. explanations from the China National Space Organization (CNSA) or the Shanghai Institute of Spaceflight Innovation (SAST)) would clarify what precisely happened.
Behavior of other GEO satellites around them: How other partisan administrators react — whether they look for to create comparative overhauling or track/monitor such satellites more closely — may flag a move in how space operations are arranged globally.
Regulatory and approach suggestions: As on-orbit overhauling gets to be conceivable, questions emerge: How will partisan risk, permitting, and “right to service” be dealt with? Seem adjusting be utilized for generous or antagonistic purposes?
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