Once more, China’s intriguing spacecraft is off and running, launching an unknown payload into orbit that might be a sign that its enigmatic mission is coming to an end.
According to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the reusable spaceplane appears to have released the mystery item on May 24 at around 3 p.m. ET. The U.S. Space Force is currently tracking it, as he reported on X. In his writing, he speculated that the object might be a subsatellite deployment or possibly a piece of hardware that was ejected before the spaceplane’s initial trip deorbited. “Will be interesting to see if the plane maneuvers or lands soon.”
The spacecraft was launched on December 14 from the Jiuquan Launch Center in China, on a Long March 2F carrier rocket. A little while later, the vehicle sent six items into orbit that seemed to be sending out different kinds of signals. As McDowell believes, the recent unidentified object may indicate that, after spending 164 days in orbit, the spacecraft is preparing for landing.
The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a state-owned company that produces both military and commercial space launch vehicles, is the manufacturer of China’s spaceplane. In 2020, the spacecraft made its first journey, spending just two days in orbit before returning to Earth. The spacecraft launched in August 2022 and spent 276 days in Earth’s orbit for its second orbit.
The spacecraft has released other enigmatic objects into orbit during its prior voyages, but its purpose has never been revealed. China has disclosed very little about its valuable spacecraft and has largely concealed its construction of a reusable spacecraft.
China’s official media agency Xinhuanet stated that the experimental spacecraft will return to the specified landing place in China after working in orbit for a while. “During this period, it will carry out reusable technology verification and space science experiments as planned, providing technical support for the peaceful use of space.”
Spaceplanes are, as their name implies, airplane-spacecraft hybrids that are propelled into orbit by rockets. Once in space, they operate as orbiting spacecraft before taking off and landing like conventional airplanes in Earth’s atmosphere.
If successful, spaceplanes could develop into useful reusable spacecraft that can fulfill the increasing requirement for space transportation for missions such as satellite launches. Comparably, the Boeing X-37 is the spacecraft flown by the United States Space Force. On December 28, the U.S. Space Force launched the X-37B on its seventh mission atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.