China's Super-Secret Space Plane Visible in Clearest Photo Yet
The unclassified image shows rear-facing solar arrays and appears in a 130-page U.S. threat assessment on emerging space capabilities.
- On Monday, October 26, 2026, the Defense Intelligence Agency released its 'Challenges to Security in Space' report, featuring the public's clearest view of China's secretive Shenlong spaceplane captured in orbit.
- Resembling the U.S. Space Force's X-37B, Beijing's experimental Shenlong has conducted four orbital missions since September 2020, launched aboard Long March 2F rockets from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
- Captured by Maxar Technologies satellite in 2024, the image reveals the spaceplane's rear-facing solar panel arrays and an open central payload bay with tricycle landing gear visible.
- According to the DIA, spaceplanes offer enhanced maneuverability for intelligence gathering and potential counterspace operations; the Chinese military likely considers directed-energy weapons 'ideal counterspace systems.'
- The DIA report assesses long-term security threats from Russia, Iran, and North Korea, as imagery illustrates the growing 'cat-and-mouse' nature of orbital operations among competing space powers.
13 Articles
13 Articles
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