A notional rendering of China’s reusable space plane (Image credit: Erik Simonsen/Getty Images)
By William Zheng,
Published by South China Morning POst, 7 February 2026
China on Saturday launched the latest mission of its reusable experimental spacecraft – a potential rival to the US Space Force’s X-37B.
It was China’s fourth launch of such a prototype spacecraft since 2020, all of them conducted at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre using the Long March-2F carrier rocket.
The official name and technical specifications of the spacecraft have yet to be announced, but Chinese space fans have dubbed it the Shenlong, or “Divine Dragon”.
State news agency Xinhua described the latest launch as another planned round of “technology verification” for China’s reusable spacecraft programme.
The experiment will provide technical support for “the peaceful use of outer space”, Xinhua said, without giving further details.
China’s first reusable experimental spacecraft was launched on September 4, 2020, and successfully returned to its designated landing site after two days in orbit.
Xinhua had hailed the first experiment “an important breakthrough” in China’s research on reusable spacecraft technology, saying it would offer a more convenient and “inexpensive way to travel to and from space” for peaceful purposes.
A second similar spacecraft was launched on August 5, 2022. It spent 276 days in orbit before returning to its designated landing site on May 8 the following year.
The third experimental reusable spacecraft launched on December 14, 2023 and returned to its landing site the following September. It had spent 268 days in orbit – demonstrating improved thermal shielding and power management for long-term orbital missions.
Several Western space trackers said the spacecraft tested its ability to release small objects, and conducted rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) during the second and third missions.
The craft would move away, and then manoeuvre back to fly in formation with the object, showing potential use for satellite refuelling or repair.
Some Western observers also speculated that it could be used to conduct counter-space operations to disable or capture an adversary’s satellite.
During the third mission, US space trackers reported signals being transmitted over North America – suggesting the spacecraft could also double as a mobile, reusable signals intelligence (SIGINT) platform.
The US remains the leader in the reusable spacecraft race. The X-37B’s eighth mission was launched last August 21, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Centre.
The focus of the Orbital Test Vehicle 8 (OTV-8) mission included testing the “highest performing quantum inertial sensor” ever flown. This sensor is critical for GPS-denied navigation, as it allows the spacecraft to know its exact position without relying on external signals.
The craft also tested high-bandwidth inter-satellite laser links, which are much harder for adversaries to jam or intercept than traditional radio frequencies.
Amateur trackers in America also reported that it deployed a small satellite shortly after reaching orbit.
The previous mission, OTV-7, which concluded on March 7 last year, was its most strategically significant flight to date. It marked the X-37B’s first use of “aerobraking” – a manoeuvre where it dipped into the Earth’s upper atmosphere to use aerodynamic drag to change its orbit.
This technique allows the spaceplane to shift its orbit without burning fuel, making its manoeuvres unpredictable to ground-based trackers and extending its mission life by saving propellant.
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