{"id":6780,"date":"2021-12-19T16:42:08","date_gmt":"2021-12-19T16:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/mystery-object-detected-near-chinas-space-debris-cleaner-fuels-fears-of-satellite-crushing-weapon"},"modified":"2021-12-19T19:59:12","modified_gmt":"2021-12-19T19:59:12","slug":"mystery-object-detected-near-chinas-space-debris-cleaner-fuels-fears-of-satellite-crushing-weapon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/mystery-object-detected-near-chinas-space-debris-cleaner-fuels-fears-of-satellite-crushing-weapon","title":{"rendered":"Mystery Object Detected Near China\u2019s Space Debris Cleaner Fuels Fears of &#8216;Satellite-Crushing Weapon&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>China launched its Shijian 21 satellite into orbit from Xichang late in October on a mission to \u201ctest and verify space debris mitigation technologies\u201d. However, the launch triggered fears in the US military that Beijing had unveiled a new \u201csatellite-crushing\u201d weapon to achieve superior space attack systems.<\/p>\n<p>US space tracking has detected a mysterious object orbiting along with China\u2019s Shijian-21 satellite, launched on 23 October to \u201ctest and verify space debris mitigation technologies\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>On 3 November, the US Space Force\u2019s 18th Space Control Squadron (SPCS) catalogued a so-called \u201ccompanion object\u201d alongside Shijian-21 with the international designator 2021-094C, reported SpaceNews.com.<\/p>\n<p>The object is noted as likely to be an apogee kick motor (AKM) typically employed on artificial satellites to deliver the final impulse to change the trajectory from the transfer orbit into its final, geostationary orbit.<\/p>\n<p>After satellite separation, apogee kick motors usually employ a final manoeuvre in line with protocol to avoid the risk of collision. However, according to the report, Shijian-21 and the SJ-21 AKM are currently side by side in orbit.<\/p>\n<p>Other possible versions as to the origins of the enigmatic object suggest something related to space debris mitigation experiments, testing of rendezvous and proximity operations, refuelling trials or manipulations involving a robotic arm. Even potential counterspace operations tests are not ruled out.<\/p>\n<p>The Shijian-21 satellite was sent into space atop a Long March &#8211; 3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre on 23 October at 9:27 a.m. Beijing time for cleaning \u201cspace debris,\u201d according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., Beijing\u2019s state-run space company.<\/p>\n<p>The company stated that the satellite was \u201ctasked with demonstrating technologies to alleviate and neutralise space debris.\u201d In 2016, Beijing launched its first official &#8220;debris-clearing&#8221; satellite, Shijian 17, officially designated as a communication satellite with the mission to observe space debris.<\/p>\n<p>The launch of spacecraft like the Shijian-21 was part of China\u2019s effort to achieve \u201cspace superiority through space and space-attack systems,\u201d warned the commander of the US Space Command, Air Force Gen. James Dickinson in April as he appeared in Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Beijing claims its intentions are entirely peaceful amid a global movement to reduce space debris such as spent rocket stages, broken satellites and micrometeoroids, or create active technologies to address it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For More News And Analysis About <a href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\">Rwanda<\/a> Follow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/\">Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Rwanda. China launched its Shijian 21 satellite into orbit from Xichang late in October on a mission to \u201ctest and verify space debris mitigation technologies\u201d. However, the launch triggered fears in the US military that Beijing had unveiled a new \u201csatellite-crushing\u201d weapon to achieve superior space attack systems. US space tracking has detected [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":6779,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,28,31],"tags":[760,763,758],"class_list":["post-6780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-homepage-english","category-miscellaneous","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-rwanda","tag-rwanda"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mystery Object Detected Near China\u2019s Space Debris Cleaner Fuels Fears of &#039;Satellite-Crushing Weapon&#039; - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"China launched its Shijian 21 satellite into orbit from Xichang late in October on a mission to \u201ctest and verify space d ...\" \/>\n<meta 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