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Space
ChinaDiplomacy

China’s mystery experimental spacecraft ‘could be part of Shenlong space plane project’

  • Military source says craft that has just completed its first test flight is likely to be linked to the project
  • Details of the mission have not been released, but another source suggested it was similar to the US X-37B

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A military source has suggested that China’s experimental craft may be similar to the US Air Force’s X-37B space plane. Photo: AFP
Liu Zhen

China’s “experimental reusable spacecraft” that has just completed its first test flight may have been a space plane, according to sources, in what would be a step towards a craft that could potentially be developed for military applications including to strike satellites or ballistic missiles.

Details of the spacecraft have not been released, but the secretive mission was hailed for “key breakthroughs” by state news agency Xinhua on Sunday after the craft landed safely following two days orbiting the planet. It said the spacecraft was launched with a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan satellite centre in Inner Mongolia on Friday.

Only one image of the rocket on the launch pad was released, and there were none of the mysterious spacecraft itself and no other information was given.

However, a military source previously told the South China Morning Post that “maybe you can take a look at the US X-37B” – suggesting the experimental craft could be similar to the US Air Force’s space plane.

The X-37B is a hypersonic unmanned spacecraft, also launched by a rocket, that began its sixth mission in May. It operates like a smaller version of Nasa’s Space Shuttle and spent 730 days in orbit from 2017 to 2019.

A second military source said the mission was likely to be linked to the Shenlong – or divine dragon – space plane project, which has been in development for more than two decades.

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