Chinese ASAT -- free-flier 'inspectors'??

Chinese ASAT -- free-flier 'inspectors'??

Notice, in regard to the old 'parasite satellite' controversy
(the fact that a private Chinese website talked about the
concept is NOT proof that the Chinese military is NOT
interested in it), that apparently the Chinese do have
a minisatellite that can 'formation fly' with a larger satellite --
and that they consider it safe and reliable enough to do so
with a human spacecraft while a crewman is performing
a spacewalk. That suggests to me that the operation just
announced with the Shenzhou next year will NOT be the
first time such hardware (and control software) has been
tested on a Chinese space mission.

China's Manned Spacecraft To Carry Small Satellite

Beijing, China (XNA) Jan 22, 2007 When Chinese astronauts eventually
walk in space, a small satellite will be used to monitor their
movements, said a satellite expert on Thursday. The satellite will be
launched from the manned spacecraft and orbit around it. It will keep
a close watch on spacecraft conditions and help monitor the
astronauts' spacewalks, China News Service reported.

The next step in China's manned spaceflight program -- which could
happen as early as 2008 -- involves allowing the astronauts to walk
out of the spacecraft and dock the spacecraft with another target
object, according to Sun Laiyan, head of China's National Space
Administration.

Yang Genqing, a researcher with the Shanghai-based Small and Micro
Satellite Research Institute, said small satellites weigh between 100
and 1,000 kilograms.

Compared with traditional satellites, small satellites are cheaper and
quicker to manufacture, consume less energy consumption and are more
reliable, Yang said.

Small satellites can link to form a "constellation" and outperform
traditional satellites, according to Yang.

Xinhua News Agency

Jim Oberg wrote:
Chinese ASAT -- free-flier 'inspectors'??

Notice, in regard to the old 'parasite satellite' controversy
(the fact that a private Chinese website talked about the
concept is NOT proof that the Chinese military is NOT
interested in it), that apparently the Chinese do have
a minisatellite that can 'formation fly' with a larger satellite --
and that they consider it safe and reliable enough to do so
with a human spacecraft while a crewman is performing
a spacewalk. That suggests to me that the operation just
announced with the Shenzhou next year will NOT be the
first time such hardware (and control software) has been
tested on a Chinese space mission.

If it goes up attached to the Shenzhou and is then seperated, and only
has
wimpy cold gas thrusters, would it really be that dangerous?

Couldn't is just be a bigger version of that basketball like thing they
were talking about playing with inside
ISS or shuttle?

Now if it's something like a progress that does a remote control or
automated rendezvous after seperate launch, yeah, you'd want to test
that on an unmanned target...