--- title: "New Chinese Spacecraft Tests Robotic Octopus Tentacle for Refueling in Orbit" description: "An experimental Chinese satellite has successfully completed an in-orbit test using a robotic fueling arm." date: "2026-03-27" modified: "2026-03-27" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/space/satellite-china-fuel-arm" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" --- # New Chinese Spacecraft Tests Robotic Octopus Tentacle for Refueling in Orbit ![A close-up view of a spacecraft component covered in gold foil with a flexible, ribbed metallic tube arching over it. The background is the blackness of space, and part of a solar panel with circuitry is visible on the right side. The image has a timestamp or code "Z01-3: 0197" in the upper left corner.]() *CCTV* With over [1,100 satellites]() currently in orbit and plans to complete a massive [megaconstellation]() in the coming years, China has plenty of flashy experiments in orbital tech underway, from [hatching a butterfly in zero gravity]() to hosting a [sumptuous barbeque in orbit](). Another promising test is the Yuxing 3-06, also known as the Hukeda-2, a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite sporting a robotic "octopus tentacle" for pumping fellow spacecraft full of rocket fuel. According [to *CCTV*](), the craft — which [launched on March 16]() — has now successfully completed a demonstration of its robotic appendage, which involved both a compliance control and refueling test. To complete the test, the robotic tentacle inserted a nozzled tip into its own dummy fuel port while flying around the planet at around 16,800 miles per hour, the [*South China Morning Post* reported](). The arm is basically an assemblage of spring-laden tubes articulated via individually motorized cables, *SCMP* notes, designed to maneuver in the microgravity of LEO. https://youtube.com/shorts/M_XM6JiyqUI?si=bEZMm38-NqWEvNpa The demo is the first step toward establishing the Yuxing 3-06's fuel-arm platform as a viable aerospace product, which could eventually lead to the world's operational first "space refueling station." If such a satellite could ever become technically and financially feasible, it could significantly extend the lifespan of LEO satellites. The first successful demonstration of any LEO gas station came in 2007, when DARPA's Orbital Express test successfully transferred fuel from one experimental craft to another. But the Orbital Express refueling system was purpose-built to explore the mechanics of LEO refueling, unlike the Yuxing 3-06, which is part of a stated [large-scale commercial production](). Currently, satellites have a fixed lifespan, as they have a [finite amount of fuel]() with which to maintain their positioning in LEO. When that fuel runs out, the craft can no longer fight against the friction of atmospheric gasses, which eventually drag them back down to Earth. On top of creating literal tons of [space junk](), this situation is also a massive financial headache — when one satellite comes down, another must go up to replace it. At [tens of millions of dollars]() to replenish a single satellite, the economics are brutal — meaning whoever solves the problem of orbital refueling could secure dominance over the skies for a fraction of the cost. **More on satellites:** *[SpaceX’s One Million Orbital Data Centers Would Be Debilitating for Astronomy Research, Scientists Say]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()