For nearly five years, the Chinese spacecraft has remained in Geostary Orbit for unspecified reasons. Almost nothing is known about the government’s loading, aside from the fact that new technologies are being tested. Towards the end of this top secret mission, an Australian company managed to photograph the mysterious spacecraft, revealing its hidden nature for the first time.
On Monday, the High Earth Orbit Robotic (Heo) released a rare image of the Xinjishwa Yanzheng-7 (XJY-7), showing its large antenna and two arrayed solar panels. Using a network of satellites in space, heo was able to photograph the Chinese spacecraft from different angles and create a rendering of 3JY-7. The images provide insight into China’s rapidly emerging space technology, and highlight the role of satellite-on-satellite imaging in uncovering a hidden type of spacecraft.
They say cheese
The XJY-7 was launched in December 2020 on board a China March 8 Rocket. It was described as a new satellite technology developed by China Aerospace Science and Corporation (Cast), but its exact purpose remained unknown.
The satellite also placed the Earth’s atmosphere on October 16 above Tenerife in the Canary Islands, according to Satellite Tracker Marco Langbroek, who identified the object based on its orbit. “A bright, thin, diverging fireball moved south to north across the sky,” Langbroek said in a blog post. “Sonic booms were heard and registered by several seismic stations in Tenerife. The event was apparently a resurgence of artificial debris.”
Before its reentry, heo used its imaging satellite network to identify XJY-7 in orbit and enter it for close proximity. “HEO analyzed XJY-7 with the world’s highest resolution, creating a 3D model from multiple angles and holes,” the company wrote in X. “
SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) is an Earth 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 geospatial mapping and can be used to monitor large infrastructure projects or for defense and intelligence purposes.
The technology verification satellite spent 5 years in Orbit and most rely on one consent to estimate its capabilities.
HEO analyzed XJY-7 with advanced non-terrestrial imaging, creating a 3D model from multiple angles and cavities. We confirmed it as a SAR satellite with a large … pic.twitterst.com/APOOQDQ5DT
– Heo (@heospace) On October 27, 2025
China is known to keep its space technology under wraps, launching several satellites for undisclosed purposes. The country’s Aerospace sector has seen rapid growth in the past few years, kicking off in 2025 with the successful launch of the Shijian-25 Satellite to test the technology of renewing technology, which aims to extend the lifespan of the spacecraft. It is similar to XJY-7, a small known Shiji series of Chinese satellites, including what the satellites look like and what the target is.
At the same time, satellite-on-satellite imaging technology has shown great progress with companies such as heho and maxiar, revealing hidden information about that snacecraft space.
