Shijian-21
Shijian-21 is a satellite launched by China. The main objective of the satellite is to test and verify space debris mitigation technologies. It was launched in October 2021 from the Xichang satellite launch centre. It was launched in Long March-3B rocket. This is the 393rd launch of the Long March series.
About Shijian-21
- The satellite was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology.
- The orbit of Shijian-21 is Geostationary Transfer Orbit. The Geostationary Transfer Orbit is a geocentric orbit. The period of the orbit is around 11 hours on average.
Why are other countries concerned about Shijian-21?
The Shijian-21 gained international attention as it is believed to be a threat to other satellites. The space debris mitigation demonstration employs the same capabilities of a military satellite. That is, a satellite that is capable of destructing a space debris is equally potential to destruct another satellite. Also, China has not disclosed any information about the satellite. This intrigued the international counterparts. Also, the Shijian-17 satellite had a robotic arm that is used to catch the space debris. It was launched in 2016. There are chances that it could catch a satellite as well. And Shijian-21 being an advanced version has more threats to other satellites as compared to Shijian-17. However, according to China Shijian is meant only for experiments and technology demonstrations. Shijian in Chinese means practice.
