The Pentagon released high-resolution imagery of China's secret spaceplane, revealing a design closely resembling the US X-37B, captured by a commercial Maxar satellite in 2024. The DIA assessment confirms China has conducted four spaceplane missions since 2020, with its fourth still orbiting, but provides little detail on the vehicle's capabilities or purpose.
Background
China has kept its reusable spaceplane program largely opaque since its first test in 2020, raising speculation about its military and dual-use potential. The X-37B's long-duration missions have drawn interest from both sides as a platform for testing space technologies.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Oct 28, 2026 at 06:04 AM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10