A Chinese aerospace startup has successfully demonstrated the operation of a flexible robotic arm in orbit, marking a milestone for the country's commercial space sector and advancing orbital refueling technology aimed at extending spacecraft lifespan.

The Yuxing-3 06 satellite, launched on March 16 aboard a Kuaizhou-11 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, has since completed a series of complex in-orbit operations using its flexible manipulator, including autonomous programmed refueling simulation, ground-controlled refueling simulation and vision-guided servo refueling simulation, its designer Sustain Space announced Wednesday.

The robotic arm, developed by a team led by Tsinghua University's Shenzhen International Graduate School, features a flexible continuum hollow arm with rear-mounted cable drive transmission. It achieved precise docking with fueling ports at an altitude of hundreds of thousands of meters.

Unlike rigid robotic arms, the flexible manipulator resembles a nimble elephant trunk, which can curl, twist and coil to adapt to complex, confined spaces.

The test represents a solid step forward for China's commercial space industry in on-orbit servicing, according to the space firm based in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province.

"When a car breaks down, you can take it to a service center for repair, but what do you do when a spacecraft breaks down in space?" said Wang Xueqian, who led the research team at Tsinghua and spent over a decade advancing space robotics technology.

"Space robots can perform extravehicular operations, and even refuel and repair spacecraft as well as clear space debris," Wang added.

China has conducted similar experiments before. In January 2025, the country launched a test satellite, Shijian-25, primarily for verifying satellite fuel replenishment and life extension service technologies.