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