The Chinese satellite SJ-21 towed the decommissioned CompassG2 spacecraft from geostationary orbit.
ExoAnalytic Solutions’s telescopes tracked how SJ-21 separated from CompassG2 and left the latter in a burial orbit.
Satellites maintain a stable position in orbit or, if required by mission tasks, change it using their own engines.
When the vehicles no longer have enough fuel for maneuvering, they complete their work.
Space in geostationary orbit is a scarce resource.
Therefore, geostationary satellites that have served their purpose are usually placed into a disposal orbit 100-200 kilometers higher.
But in order to get to the disposal orbit, enough fuel must remain on board the satellite for this.
And some satellites remain in geostationary orbit, turning into space debris.
In addition, often the fuel of the engines of the orientation and maneuvering system runs out even before the main equipment of the satellite fails.
That is, the device is transferred to the burial orbit or de-orbited in fact in working order.
You can extend their life by towing them to a new point in orbit.
The American satellite MEV-1, designed to extend the missions of other spacecraft, has such capabilities.
The company ExoAnalytic Solutions suggests that China also has space tug technology.
According to the company, the Chinese satellite SJ-21, launched on October 24 last year, moved the Compass G2 from geostationary orbit.
On January 22, SJ-21 disappeared from its orbital position for several hours.
This happened right after it started moving closer and closer to the Compass G2.
While SJ-21 was out of view of the telescopes, it docked with Compass G2 and towed it into a graveyard orbit.
SJ-21 then separated from Compass G2 and returned to near geostationary orbit.
ExoAnalytic telescopes have already managed to track the moment of separation.
According to Space-track.org, the height of the SJ-21’s perigee orbit on January 26 was 36.08 thousand kilometers, and the apogee was 38.89 thousand kilometers.
This is 290 and 3100 kilometers above geostationary orbit. The latest data on the parameters of the Compass G2 orbit are dated January 21st.
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