Claims China’s BeiDou satellite was refuelled in orbit could change space race

Chinese researchers have reportedly conducted a previously undisclosed satellite-to-satellite propellant refuelling operation in high Earth orbit. A paper undergoing peer review for the Journal of Deep Space Exploration states that China successfully refuelled a BeiDou satellite with room-temperature propellant for the first time. This achievement, if confirmed, positions China at the forefront of a technology that could significantly impact future space exploration. While the researchers from the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory provided no specific details about the operation, they highlighted the importance of developing technologies for transferring extremely low-temperature propellants for enhanced performance in large spacecraft and deep-space missions.