Shi Jian 17 beside Zhongxing 1C
A satellite of China Satellite Communications Corp. Group (China Satcom) came up beside a satellite of General Armaments Dept. of the PLA, 1.5 km away at the nearest its sources state.
Reported: 1 public report other than Orbinauts names these two.
From the public record
- From
- Jul 24, 2018
- to Aug 17, 2018
- Closest stated
- 1.5 km
- Jul 29, 2018
- Orbit
- GEO
- geostationary orbit, over 80.5° E
The one that moved
Shi Jian 17
China Satellite Communications Corp. Group (China Satcom), CN
41838 · 2016-065A · launched Nov 3, 2016
The one it came up to
Zhongxing 1C
General Armaments Dept. of the PLA, CN
41103 · 2015-073A · launched Dec 9, 2015
What the sources state
Every day and distance here is the sources’ own, to the precision they state.
- When
- Jul 24, 2018 to Aug 17, 2018
- BesideJul 24, 2018
- CSIS: held orbit near Chinasat 1C 24 Jul to 16 Aug 2018
- Closest statedJul 29, 2018
- SJ-17 rendezvoused with Chinasat 1C, coming within 1.5 km on July 29
- LeftAug 16, 2018 to Aug 17, 2018
- SJ-17 remained with Chinasat 1C until August prior to departing
The detector was not yet running: it reads low Earth orbit since April 2026 and the geostationary belt since October 2026.
Reported elsewhere
Who else said these two were together, earliest first.
| Said on | Who | What |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 12, 2026 | Institute | Victoria Samson, SWF Chinese RPO fact sheet, 12 June 2026, p. 4 |