China is quietly rewriting the economics of spaceflight by proving that satellites do not have to be disposable hardware that dies when the fuel runs out. A new generation of Chinese spacecraft is being designed to refuel, repair, and reposition other satellites in orbit, potentially stretching missions from a few years to several decades and reshaping who controls the most valuable real estate above Earth.
What looks like a technical upgrade is in fact a strategic shift, blending commercial ambitions with military planning and forcing rivals to rethink how long their own space assets can safely operate. If China can master on-orbit servicing at scale, the country will not just keep satellites alive longer, it will gain a powerful tool for economic leverage and geopolitical signaling in orbit.
From single-use satellites to orbital infrastructure
For most of the space age, satellites have been treated like high-end appliances with fixed expiration dates: once the fuel tank is empty or a key component fails, the spacecraft is written off and replaced. China is now challenging that model by investing in satellites that can be refueled and serviced in orbit, turning what used to be consumables into long-lived infrastructure. The shift aligns with Beijing’s broader push to position China as a dominant space power with assets that can be upgraded rather than discarded.
On-orbit servicing is not just a clever engineering trick, it is a way to multiply the value of every launch and every kilogram of hardware that reaches orbit. Instead of planning for a satellite’s retirement the day it leaves the pad, mission designers can now imagine refueling, orbit adjustment, or even retrieval and return to low Earth orbit if necessary, capabilities that have been highlighted for satellites operating at GSO. That vision turns satellites into modular, maintainable platforms, and it is at the heart of China’s latest experiments.
Shijian-25 and the rise of on-orbit refueling
The clearest signal of this new approach came when China launched the Shijian-25 satellite, a mission explicitly aimed at testing on-orbit refueling and mission extension technologies. Rather than being just another payload, Shijian-25 is part of a broader set of missions that, taken together, suggest that Together with other experimental spacecraft, China is building a comprehensive toolkit for long-duration space operations, including the ability to top up fuel tanks in orbit.
These refueling tests are not happening in isolation. They are being paired with work on reusable launch vehicles and other mission extension systems that could rendezvous with aging satellites and give them new life. The Shijian-25 mission shows that Jan experiments are being treated as stepping stones toward a future in which satellites are serviced regularly, not abandoned when their original design life ends.
Pioneering refueling in geosynchronous orbit
China has also been pushing the frontier in the most valuable orbital belt of all, geosynchronous orbit, where communications, weather, and military satellites sit fixed over the same point on Earth. In one pioneering campaign, a pair of Shijian spacecraft carried out refueling tests in geosynchronous orbit, demonstrating that a servicing vehicle could approach, connect to, and transfer propellant to another satellite. Those on-orbit servicing maneuvers showed that refueling, orbit adjustment, or repositioning are no longer theoretical for China’s program.
Geosynchronous orbit is where satellites are most expensive and strategically sensitive, so the ability to extend their lives has outsized impact. By proving that a servicing spacecraft launched in October 2021 could carry out refueling tests and then separate cleanly, China signaled that it is serious about turning GEO into a managed, maintainable zone rather than a graveyard of dead hardware. The same technologies that keep a satellite on station for extra years can also be used to nudge it into new slots or remove it from crowded lanes, giving operators far more flexibility than traditional one-shot missions.
Strategic ambitions behind longer-lived satellites
Extending satellite lifetimes is not just about saving money, it is about building a durable presence in orbit that can support both civilian and military goals. Analysts have noted that China’s space programs, investments, and cooperative endeavours with third parties have accelerated so quickly over the past decade that the country could become the leading country in aerospace technology within 5 to 10 years. On-orbit servicing fits neatly into that trajectory, giving Beijing a way to keep key satellites operational for far longer than rivals might expect.
That ambition is visible across a wide portfolio of missions. Among the satellites to watch is the classified optical remote sensing satellite Yaogan 41, which has been cited as part of a broader effort to enlarge China’s strategic advantage and potentially complicate any attempt to defend Taiwan in a conflict. When high-value imaging or communications platforms like this can be refueled or serviced in orbit, they become enduring assets that underpin long-term military planning rather than short-lived experiments.
VLEO, mega-constellations, and the economics of longevity
China’s servicing push is unfolding just as the economics of low orbit are being rewritten by very low Earth orbit, or VLEO, constellations. Operating closer to Earth offers sharper imagery and lower latency, but it also means satellites face more atmospheric drag and shorter natural lifetimes. Juniper Research makes the bold projection that global investment in VLEO will grow to $220 billion by 2027, a scale of spending that makes mission extension technologies far more attractive.
For China, developing its own satellite internet constellation has become a strategic priority both for military use and as a demonstration of its technological and geopolitical strengths. Subnational government support has been mobilized so that, For China, satellite internet is not just a commercial play but a national project. In that context, any technology that can keep thousands of small satellites in service longer, or allow selective refueling of key nodes, becomes a force multiplier for both connectivity and control.
Reusable rockets as the other half of the equation
Keeping satellites alive for decades is only half the story; the other half is making it cheaper and more routine to send servicing vehicles and replacement hardware into orbit. China is investing heavily in reusable rockets, a field that has already transformed launch economics in the United States. One recent test involved the private company LandSpace and its reusable rocket Zhuque-3, which attempted a controlled landing but did not fully succeed.
Even so, the effort was described as a Step Forward Despite Failure, marking a significant move toward narrowing the gap with the United States in commercial space capability. Another report noted that China‘s first domestically developed reusable orbital rocket, if successfully brought to market, would accelerate Beijing’s space power objectives. Reusability and on-orbit servicing reinforce each other: cheaper launches make it easier to send up refuelers and repair craft, while longer-lived satellites make each launch more valuable.
Beijing’s integrated space strategy
Behind these technical milestones sits a deliberate political strategy. It also signals a strategic shift: Beijing is not only expanding its domestic space launch capacity, but also preparing to reshape both commercial and military space operations. Reusable rockets, on-orbit servicing, and mega-constellations are being developed in parallel, suggesting a long-term plan to dominate key orbital regimes rather than compete on a mission-by-mission basis.
China’s space ambitions have clearly hit a new gear, with investments in quantum communication satellites for secure links, reusable spaceplanes, space based computing, and training on space warfare tactics. These initiatives show that Nov reports of expanded capabilities are part of a coherent push to integrate civil, commercial, and military uses of space. In that ecosystem, satellites that can be refueled and serviced for decades become the backbone of a resilient, multiuse orbital infrastructure.
Military implications and “dogfighting” in orbit
Any technology that can approach and interact with another satellite in orbit has obvious dual-use potential, and U.S. officials are taking notice. A top Space Force official has sounded alarms over recent on-orbit demonstrations by China that showed how adversaries could potentially threaten U.S. satellites. The concern is that the same spacecraft that can refuel or reposition a friendly satellite could also be used to tamper with or disable an opponent’s asset, a risk highlighted when Space Force leaders described China practicing on-orbit “dogfighting” tactics with space assets.
From Beijing’s perspective, the ability to maneuver close to other satellites is part of building a credible deterrent and ensuring that its own space infrastructure cannot be easily neutralized. From Washington’s perspective, it raises the specter of a future conflict in which satellites are not just passive targets but active participants in a dynamic, contested environment. As China refines its on-orbit servicing capabilities, the line between maintenance and maneuver warfare in space will only grow thinner.
Autonomous operations and scientific payoffs
China’s push for longer-lived satellites is not limited to military or communications platforms; it is also transforming scientific missions. One recent example is a Chinese satellite that revealed mysterious cosmic “fireworks” associated with previously hidden black holes. The mission’s success relied heavily on advanced onboard autonomy, with the team noting that “With the EP, we now have the key capability to uncover these ‘silent’ black holes systematically,” as With the EP described by researcher Tao Lian.
The mission’s autonomous capabilities were described as turning the spacecraft into a highly responsive and efficient cosmic monitoring platform, able to detect and respond to transient events without waiting for ground commands. That same autonomy is crucial for long-duration servicing missions, which must navigate complex rendezvous and refueling operations far from Earth. As China refines these systems on scientific platforms, it is also building the software and operational playbooks needed to keep other satellites functioning for decades.
Verification missions and the road to decades-long service
Behind the headline-grabbing tests lies a steady cadence of verification missions that quietly validate each piece of the servicing puzzle. One such effort has been described as a Verification mission for a satellite refuelling and life extension system, aimed to link up with a satellite already in geosynchronous orbit. The servicing craft arrived alongside TJS 11 (59020), demonstrating that China can bring a refueler into close proximity with an operational GEO satellite.
Each of these demonstrations reduces technical risk and builds confidence that future satellites can be designed from the start with servicing in mind. Instead of treating refueling as an exotic add-on, Chinese engineers can begin to assume that a satellite launched today might be topped up or upgraded years down the line. That mindset is what ultimately enables missions to stretch across decades, turning today’s experimental refuelers into tomorrow’s routine maintenance fleet.
The emerging contest over orbital staying power
As China advances its space capabilities, it is enlarging its strategic advantage in ways that go beyond raw launch numbers. Reports have highlighted that Aug assessments of satellites like Yaogan 41 are part of a broader recognition that space systems now underpin everything from regional deterrence to global communications. In that environment, the ability to keep satellites operating for decades becomes a measure of national staying power in orbit.
Rivals will not stand still. The United States and its partners are already exploring their own on-orbit servicing programs, reusable launch systems, and resilient constellations. But China’s integrated approach, combining refueling tests, reusable rockets, mega-constellations, and autonomous science missions, gives it a head start in treating space as an infrastructure domain rather than a series of one-off stunts. The race is no longer just about who can reach orbit first, it is about who can stay there the longest, with satellites that can be refueled, repaired, and repurposed long after their original missions were supposed to end.
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