On Thursday, China successfully launched the third ‘secret’ reusable robotic spacecraft since 2020, this uncrewed spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.
It was propelled by a Long March 2F rocket- the same rocket series used for transporting Chinese astronauts, as per state media. It was a part of a series of orbital test flights, with the objective to develop reusable technologies aimed at reducing the costs of space missions.
Following launch, the spacecraft will remain in orbit for a ‘period of time’ before making its way back to a specified landing site in China. During its flight, the spacecraft will undergo verification of reusable technologies and conduct space experiments, according to state media reports. No additional details were provided.
The spacecraft's most recent launch occurred in August 2022, completing a 276-day orbit before returning to Earth. No specific information was disclosed regarding the tested technologies or the altitude it reached. Intriguingly, images of the spacecraft have not been made public.
China's initiative and aspirations for a reusable spacecraft, sometimes referred to as Shenlong or "Divine Dragon" in Chinese, coincides with a parallel ‘secretive’ program in the United States involving an autonomous spaceplane named the X-37B.
The Chinese launch took place shortly after SpaceX cancelled the countdown for a new X-37B launch for the third time this week, citing weather and technical issues at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Photo: The Straits News
A new launch date for the X-37B, set for its seventh mission over a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, is yet to be announced. This mission aims to carry the secretive robot spaceplane to a considerably higher orbit than ever before.
The Pentagon has shared limited details about the mission, as it is managed by the U.S. Space Force under the military's National Security Space Launch program.
Despite limited information, Space Force General B. Chance Saltzman at an industry conference this week, stated that he anticipates China launching Shenlong around the same time as the impending X-37B flight, enhancing the ever-expanding space rivalry between the two nations.
Saltzman, as reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine, stated "It's no surprise that the Chinese are extremely interested in our spaceplane. We're extremely interested in theirs," Mr. Saltzman said, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine, a U.S. aerospace journal.
"These are two of the most watched objects on orbit while they're on orbit. It's probably no coincidence that they're trying to natch us in the timing and sequence of this."
The Boeing-built X-37B, resembling a miniature space shuttle and approximately the size of a small bus, is designed for deploying various payloads and conducting technology experiments during extended orbital flights.
In its previous mission, the uncrewed X-37B concluded its journey and returned to Earth in November 2022 after over 900 days in orbit.
In September 2020, China successfully launched its first reusable spacecraft, which remained in orbit for just two days. The development of reusable spacecraft is considered vital for achieving long-term goals, such as increasing spaceflight frequency and lowering per-mission costs.
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