Earlier this month, at the end of their third manned space mission, Chinese taikonauts released a tiny satellite into orbit. Beijing's officials swear that the 16-inch, 90-pound spacecraft was meant to take pictures of the larger orbiter -- and give Chinese mission controllers practice at driving these pint-sized machines.
But some observers concluded that it could be used as a technology test for new generation of anti-satellite weaponry. China shot down a satellite before, after all. Those fears were only heightened when the BX-1 mini-sat passed within 25 kilometers of the International Space Station.
Brian Weeden sorts out the competing claims, over at* The Space Review.*
*[Photo: Xinhua]
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