Unveiling the Secrets of XJY-7: A Chinese Satellite’s Mysterious Reentry
On October 16, the starry skies of the Canary Islands were illuminated by a spectacular fireball that crossed the sky from south to north. Contrary to popular belief, this was not a meteorite but a reentering Chinese satellite, which had been shrouded in mystery until a few days prior.
A Mystery Called XJY-7. Launched in December 2020 as part of the maiden flight of the Long March 8 rocket, Xinjishu Yanzheng-7 had captivated the attention of scientists and enthusiasts alike. Officially labeled a “new technology verification satellite” by China’s space authorities, it was largely an enigma, generating a multitude of questions regarding its actual purpose and capabilities.
While its reentry was already significant news, a remarkable event preceded it: an Australian company successfully captured images of the XJY-7 in orbit. This breakthrough finally addressed the lingering questions about what this satellite was and what operations it was executing in outer space.
Counterespionage in Orbit. Utilizing its network of satellites dedicated to photographing other objects in orbit, the Australian company HEO accomplished what ground-based radars had failed to do: capturing detailed images of XJY-7 from close proximity. The images and the accompanying 3D model that HEO constructed unveiled features that the Chinese government had previously omitted.
According to a statement made to SpaceNews , HEO disclosed that the satellite was not a simple test platform; it was armed with “a large radar antenna” and, notably, a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) antenna.
It Was a Spy Satellite. SAR is a sophisticated remote sensing technology that allows for the acquisition of high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface under various weather conditions, both day and night. The so-called “mysterious” test satellite was, in fact, an advanced surveillance and remote sensing apparatus.
HEO’s observations further revealed an intriguing detail: the satellite featured fixed solar panels. This design necessitated rotation of its entire body to maintain power generation, a behavior the company confirmed through multiple simultaneous observations from various angles.
Satellites That Monitor Satellites. Traditional monitoring methods such as ground-based radars and telescopes are increasingly insufficient for tracking the activities of nations in orbit. HEO employs a network of over 40 sensors in flight to capture satellite-to-satellite images for their clients. When one of its associated satellites comes near a target, it takes real photographs that reveal antennas, panels, thrusters, and payloads, ensuring a non-invasive flyby method that yields concrete visual data.
This advanced technique has enabled HEO to identify more than 80 space objects before they were documented in any public catalogue. In a landscape where satellite constellations are deployed en masse, distinguishing whether an object is an operational satellite, a piece of space debris, or identifying the types of antennas it carries is vital for national intelligence and defense .
Mysterious Until His Re-entry. Ironically, the enigma surrounding XJY-7 persisted even during its reentry, as the United States Space Command failed to issue any reentry alerts. This was particularly surprising given the object’s substantial size; experts estimate that XJY-7 weighed between 3,000 and 5,000 kg.
That an object of such mass bypassed reentry warning systems underscores significant gaps in conventional space tracking methods, raising alarming implications, especially for potentially hostile assets. Such oversights are troubling, especially when concerning a satellite boasting secretive capabilities.
Image | H.E.O.
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