US media attention: China tests satellite refueling in orbit! Two American satellites are monitoring two Chinese satellites that are approaching each other. An article published by Space News on June 10, 2025. China is positioning a satellite to test its ability to refuel another satellite in Earth orbit and extend its mission, extending its mission for a few more years. According to Space News, the "Shijian-25" satellite is designed to refuel and maintain other satellites in geosynchronous orbit. Geostationary orbit refers to the orbit where satellites or other spacecraft operate at a rate matching the Earth's rotation, thus maintaining a fixed position above a point on Earth. The Shijian-25 was launched in January to test its ability to refuel other satellites and spacecraft. The Shijian-21 was launched in October 2021 and has completed its mission, docking with the Beidou-2 G2 navigation satellite and towing the defunct satellite to what is called a "graveyard orbit." This orbit positions defunct satellites above the geosynchronous orbit so they do not interfere with operational satellites. US media said that two American satellites are monitoring two Chinese satellites, which conducted several maneuvers over the past weekend to reduce the distance between them. It is expected that these two Chinese satellites may dock soon and begin the refueling process to test the feasibility of refueling satellites and other spacecraft in geostationary orbit. These two satellites were designed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. The Shijian-21 appears to have exhausted its fuel. If the two satellites successfully dock, it is expected that the Shijian-25 will transfer 313 pounds of hydrazine to the Shijian-21, extending the latter's service life by eight more years. This test is similar to the one planned by Northrop Grumman, which plans to launch its robotic mission next year to perform similar maintenance on US satellites and spacecraft. Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1834679127860232/ Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author only.