---
title: "Banxing"
chunk: 1/1
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banxing"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T12:41:06.594244+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

Banxing or BX-1 (Chinese: 伴星; lit. 'Companion Satellite'), is a small Chinese technology development satellite which was deployed from the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft at 11:27 GMT on 27 September 2008. Prior to deployment, the satellite was mounted on top of the Shenzhou 7 orbital module.


== Purpose ==
Banxing was used to relay images of the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft. Weighing some 40 kilograms, and containing two cameras and communication equipment, it was maneuvered using an ammonia gas-based propulsion system.  Following the re-entry of Shenzhou 7, Banxing remained in orbit as part of a formation-flying experiment with the discarded Shenzhou orbital module.
A few hours after Banxing was launched it and the Shenzhou 7 orbital module passed unusually close to the International Space Station. This provoked some speculation that the experiment was intended to test military anti-satellite interception technology.


== See also ==

2008 in spaceflight
Orbital Express


== References ==