Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Space
Space
Science
Andrew Jones

2 Chinese spacecraft just met up 22,000 miles above Earth. What were they doing?

A Chinese Long March 3B rocket launches the military space debris mitigation satellite Shijian-21from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Oct. 24, 2021. Shijian-21 apparently met up with another Chinese satellite high above Earth in June 2025.

China brought two spacecraft together high above Earth as part of a refueling demonstration mission, according to a space situational awareness company.

China's Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 satellites had been moving toward each other in geosynchronous orbit, around 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above the equator, Spacenews reported on June 6. And now the pair appear to have had a brief first encounter, according to observations from the ground.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.