Overview
- Sustain Space said its Xiyuan-0 satellite finished on-orbit trials of a bendable robotic arm that handled refueling simulations, teleoperation, vision guidance, and force-controlled tasks.
- The refueling work was a simulation with no propellant transfer confirmed.
- The spacecraft, launched March 16 on a Kuaizhou-11 from Jiuquan, is also set to try a fast deorbit using a deployable drag sphere to cut its time in orbit.
- The arm uses a hollow limb made of spring-like tubes with cable-driven motors, allowing it to twist and make gentle contact for precision work.
- The project pairs the startup with partners including Tsinghua University, Shenzhen Mofang, Hunan University, and Emposat, and it fits into wider moves toward on-orbit servicing seen in China and by firms like Astroscale and Northrop Grumman.