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Issue 111

06 Flash Archive · Members Only

Update: SJ-19 Tested China’s 1st Inflatable Payload

22 Nov: During its nearly 2 weeks in orbit, China's Shijian-19 retrievable satellite conducted an experiment involving an inflatable module. This is China's first such test and, per Andrew Jones, “fills a technological gap in China's capabilities and potentially opens the door to future applications in deep space…

Author Greg Gillinger Published June 18, 2025

22 Nov: During its nearly 2 weeks in orbit, China’s Shijian-19 retrievable satellite conducted an experiment involving an inflatable module. This is China’s first such test and, per Andrew Jones, “fills a technological gap in China’s capabilities and potentially opens the door to future applications in deep space exploration and orbital habitats.” More excerpts from Andrew Jones’ SpaceWeek article below.

– China launched SJ-19 a Long March 2D rocket from Jiuquan Sept. 27 and landed late Eastern Oct. 10 at the nearby Dongfeng landing site in the Gobi Desert.

– The China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) manufactured both Shijian-19 and the test module. CAST revealed that the “inflatable flexible sealed module” completed an on-orbit test in a Nov. 21 statement.

– CAST stated that the multifunctional sealed structure was made from flexible composite materials and declared the mission a complete success.

– The module was in a compressed, folded state during launch and inflated upon reaching orbit. This design offers advantages such as lightweight construction and high folding efficiency. CAST described the technology as a promising approach for constructing large-scale space-sealed modules and represents an important new direction in sealed module technology.

– China has earlier stated its interest in expandable or inflatable modules, but the Nov. 21 release appears to be the first public unveiling of related hardware.

– China also revealed plans to begin expanding the Tiangong space station…an inflatable habitat could play a role in this planned expansion.

– The Shijian-19 mission was described as the first test of a new generation of high-performance reusable retrievable space test platform by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

– SJ-19 was ~3,500-kilograms and carried payloads and experiments including staple and industrial crops for irradiation experiments aimed at fostering beneficial mutations, microbial specimens, and space technology experiments.

– SJ-19 was a short-duration version of the retrievable spacecraft, designed for missions lasting about two weeks. A long-term configuration, equipped with solar arrays on its propulsion and power module, is capable of remaining in orbit longer, supporting extended experiments.