The Xe 5s, 5p satellite spectrum has been studied using synchrotron radiation. Results show the total intensity of the satellites to be more than seven times larger than the 5s5p⁶ ²S_1/2 intensity in the Cooper minimum where the 5s partial cross section is small. It is suggested that the observed strong channels will influence the behaviour of the angular asymmetry parameter beta for the Xe 5s transition, and their inclusion in a theoretical treatment will improve the prediction for the Xe 5s parameters.