A Chinese satellite tugged another defunct satellite out of geostationary orbit. Is China just taking the trash out? Probably, but they're not saying much.
A Chinese satellite pulled a defunct navigation satellite out of the way of other satellites on January 22nd. The satellite, called SJ-21, appeared to operate as a space tug when it grappled onto the navigation satellite from the Chinese CompassG2 network.
ExoAnalytic Solutions owns and operates over 30 observatories and over 300 telescopes worldwide. The company says they monitor the full 360 degrees of the GEO belt and the. Their Global Telescope Network is the world’s largest network of optical telescopes. According to the company’s website, they provide “…ubiquitous, automated, real-time space domain awareness for space superiority.”
The ESA has a comprehensive web presence detailing its ongoing efforts to deal with space debris. Individual articles describe using drag sails to deorbit dead satellites, graphics explain the problem, and interviews with experts flesh out the whole issue. NASA is similar.
“One could also reasonably expect SJ-21 to advance work China has already done in lower orbits to practice rendezvous and proximity operations and the use of a robotic arm,” the report says. “This time, China might practice using multiple arms, a different type of debris mitigation technology such as that needed for refuelling orBut the report also says that “China’s activities in OSAM have not been examined in-depth to date.
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