Shiyan-7 (SY-7)

Spacecraft nº:

Chinese spacecraft nº: 26

Launch data:

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• SHIYAN 7 is equipped with a system for testing a manipulator arm to capture other space objects.

Mission details:

• A CZ-4C rocket launched on Jul 19, 2013 placed three experimental satellites in a 666 x 673 km x 98.1 deg sun-synchronous orbit with an 06:42 local time descending node. The SJ-15 satellite is thought to be carrying out observations of space debris, while SY-7 is testing a robotic arm.
• A set of three mysterious satellites has experts guessing about the Chinese space program's intentions. No one really knows what the Chinese are up to, and everything is speculation.
  One of the trio of new Chinese satellites, Shiyan-7 (SY-7, Experiment 7), has since made a sudden maneuver. That satellite had already finished a series of orbital alterations that put it close to one of the companion satellites with which it was launched, the Chuangxin-3 (CX-3).
• Shiyan 7, after maneuvering close to Chuangxin-3 on Aug 6 and Aug 9, 2013 has completed an unexpected rendezvous in a 564 x 610 km x 97.7 deg orbit with the ShiJian 7 (SJ-7) satellite (launched in 2005) during the periode Aug 19 to 20, and then manuevered away to a 560 x 604 km orbit.
• The 2013-037A payload, made a slight orbit adjustment of 1km on Oct 15, 2013 to 660 x 675 km and then released a new object, 2013-037J, with which it is stationkeeping within 2 km.
  The new object is probably a target subsatellite, possibly passive, for experiments with proximity operations.

Satellite tracking: