A Chinese launch provider has responded after SpaceX alleged that a newly deployed Chinese satellite came dangerously close to one of its Starlink spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
According to Michael Nicolls, vice-president of Starlink engineering, a satellite launched from China passed within about 200 metres of STARLINK-6079 at an altitude of roughly 560 km. In a post on X, Nicolls blamed the incident on a lack of coordination and said the satellite operator had not shared ephemeris data, increasing the risk of close approaches in space.
The satellites were launched by CAS Space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center aboard the Kinetica-1 (Lijian-1) rocket. The mission deployed nine satellites, including six Chinese spacecraft, two jointly developed satellites for clients from the UAE and Egypt, and a student-built satellite from Nepal.
Responding to queries from PCMag, CAS Space said it is in contact with Nicolls to understand the “alleged incident.” The company stressed that responsible use and data sharing in space are critical, adding that such situations highlight the need for international cooperation rather than division among spacefaring nations.
CAS Space also said that as a launch service provider, its responsibility ends once satellites are deployed and it does not control their subsequent manoeuvres. However, it added that avoiding collisions is in everyone’s interest and pledged to assist Starlink where possible.
The company said its immediate focus is to establish the exact timeline of events, identify which of the nine satellites were involved, and determine whether the close approach occurred during deployment or later orbital manoeuvres.
CAS Space further asserted that all its launches undergo mandatory coordination with ground-based space situational awareness systems. It said the Kinetica-1 Y11 mission lifted off at 04:03:45 UTC into a sun-synchronous orbit at about 550 km, satellite separation was nominal, and no collision risks were reported during the deployment phase.
