On Saturday, June 14, two Chinese satellites—both orbiting 37,500 km (22,000 miles) above Earth’s surface—came so close to each other that they became indistinguishable to U.S. radar operators assigned to monitor them. This is the first time that such a feat has been accomplished in such a high orbit.
“The Shijian-25 satellite was launched [in January] to test on-orbit refueling and mission- extension technologies, and has been drifting towards Shijian-21,” a satellite that has been in orbit since 2021, reported South China Morning Post on June 13. “The two satellites have nearly synchronized orbits and are primed for rendezvous and docking,” an event which demonstrates “the need for precise docking and fluid transfer between uncrewed spacecraft in microgravity.”
