Space Startup Captures Chinese Mystery Satellite Before Fiery Reentry

For nearly five years, a Chinese spacecraft has remained in geostationary orbit for unspecified reasons. Virtually nothing was known about the government payload, aside from it being a test of new technology. Toward the end of this top-secret mission, an Australian firm managed to image the mysterious spacecraft, revealing its hidden nature for the first time.

On Monday, High Earth Orbit Robotics (HEO) released a rare glimpse of the Xinjishu Yanzheng-7 (XJY-7) satellite, characterizing its large dish antenna and two fixed solar panels. Using a network of satellites in space, HEO was able to capture the Chinese spacecraft from different angles and create a 3D rendering of XJY-7. The images provide insight into China’s rapidly evolving space technology, as well as highlighting the role of satellite-on-satellite imaging in revealing the hidden nature of spacecraft.

Say cheese

XJY-7 launched in December 2020 on board the inaugural flight of China’s Long March 8 rocket. It was described as a new technology verification satellite developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CAST), but its exact purpose remained unknown.

The satellite reentered Earth’s atmosphere on October 16 over Tenerife in the Canary Islands, according to satellite tracker Marco Langbroek, who identified the object based on its orbit. “A bright, slow, fragmenting fireball moved from south to north over the sky,” Langbroek wrote in a blog post. “Sonic booms were heard and registered by several seismic stations on Tenerife. The event clearly was a reentry of artificial space debris.”

Prior to its reentry, HEO used its network of imaging satellites to identify XJY-7 in orbit and sneak up on it for a close-up. “HEO analysed XJY-7 with high-frequency Non-Earth Imaging, building a 3D model from multiple angles and orbits,” the company wrote on X. “We verified it as a SAR satellite with a large dish antenna and two fixed solar panels that required full-body rotation to charge.”

A SAR (synthetic aperture radar) is an Earth-observation satellite that uses a pulse of energy to create high-resolution images of our planet regardless of weather conditions or daylight. SAR satellites are used for remote sensing and mapping of Earth’s surfaces and can also be used to monitor large infrastructure projects or for defense and intelligence purposes.

A technology verification satellite spent 5 years in orbit and most relied on a single render to guess its capabilities.

HEO analysed XJY-7 with high-frequency Non-Earth Imaging, building a 3D model from multiple angles and orbits. We verified it as a SAR satellite with a large… pic.twitter.com/aPOOQDq5dT

— HEO (@heospace) October 27, 2025

China is known to keep its space technology under wraps, launching several satellites with undisclosed purposes. The country’s aerospace sector has seen rapid growth over the last few years, kicking off 2025 with the successful launch of the Shijian-25 satellite to test in-orbit refueling technologies, which aim to extend the lifespan of spacecraft. Similar to XJY-7, little is known about China’s Shijian series, including what the satellites look like or what their intended targets are.

At the same time, satellite-on-satellite imaging technology has shown significant progress with companies like HEO and Maxar, revealing hidden details about those sneaky spacecraft.