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

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