In-space refueling, a field where China leads?

This post was originally published on April 26th 2024. A free and expanded version of this post is available.

A Long March 5 first-stage during production. (This image has been upscaled from 480p to 1440p)

In-space satellite refueling has been something long sought after worldwide, the most well-known effort for in-space refueling is currently SpaceX's Starship-Super Heavy launch vehicle which has it as a major part of its deep space architecture.

But why pursue in-space refueling? In-space refueling is believed to allow greater on-orbit operational lifetimes by satellites in hard-to-reach orbits, and for extremely expensive and one-off satellites.

China is currently looking into and utilizing in-space refueling as part of its space exploration efforts. Reports about the country's space refueling efforts date back to 2016 and 2017, for in-space testing.