Two Chinese satellites have deliberate close encounter

New Scientist: Two Chinese satellites had a close rendezvous 600 km above Earth, and may even have touched, a first for any country besides the US, according to Brian Weeden, a technical consultant at the Secure World Foundation, which promotes the peaceful use of space. As New Scientist’s Rachel Courtland reports, the event could be a test of technology needed for any number of purposes, such as to build a space station, to clear out space junk, to inspect or fix satellites, or even to damage or interfere with satellites from other countries. Weeden, however, does not believe the technology is intended for military use.