The Shijian-19, a retrievable and reusable Chinese satellite, was launched Friday, September 27th. The Shijian satellite launch was the first of the reusable, retrievable Shijian satellite series that had around 15 missions planned between 2019 and 2025. The Shijian-19 configuration is designed to vary based on mission duration. The “short-term” configuration supports missions for up to two week durations. The “long-term” configuration is equipped with solar arrays and its own propulsion and power module to support extended LEO, lunar, and deep space operations. This first mission is reported to be geared towards space breeding experiments to facilitate Chinese objectives to identified a space solution to improving agricultural outputs- a critical concern for Chinese autonomy as most agricultural products are imported (Liu, Z 2023). Chinese researchers are seeking to utilize the LEO radiation environment to initiate seed/plant mutations that could enhance crop resiliency and productivity. The Shijian-19 is developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) and was launched for the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
The Shijian-19 mission demonstrates an increasing Chinese emphasis to resolve Earth-based constraints to Chinese autonomy. Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to establish food security through self-sufficiency “with an emphasis on domestic supply” (Liu, Z 2023). The Shijian-19 mission and potential follow-on efforts present an opportunity for nation-states and cyber criminal organizations to invest in advanced persistent threat attacks to erode potential Chinese geopolitical power gains that could result from space-based agricultural autonomy. However, the apparent closed architecture of the Shijian-19 system may limit potential attack vectors driving increased emphasis on insider threat or social engineering to establish an initial foothold into the program. Cyber-attack opportunities may not be sufficient for the resource investment.
Cited Resources:
Article: Jones, Andrew. China launches reusable Shijian-19 satellite for space breeding and technology tests – SpaceNews
Additional resource: Liu, Zongyuan Zoe. China Increasingly Relies on Imported Food. That’s a Problem. | Council on Foreign Relations (cfr.org)