China has quietly sent its secretive Shenlong spaceplane back into orbit, marking the fourth mission of a reusable craft that many analysts see as a direct answer to the US X‑37B. The classified launch signals how far Beijing has come in a niche but strategically important corner of space technology where the United States has long held the lead.
By flying Shenlong again, China is not only testing hardware, it is also testing how far it can narrow the gap with the Pentagon’s uncrewed spaceplane program without revealing much about its own capabilities. The result is a high‑stakes race in which both sides talk about peaceful research while designing vehicles that could reshape military operations in orbit.
Shenlong’s fourth flight and what Beijing is really testing
The latest mission lifted off from China’s crewed‑flight launch site on a Long March‑2F rocket, carrying what officials described only as a reusable experimental spacecraft that domestic reports routinely call Shenlong. State media highlighted that the payload is a Reusable vehicle and paired the mission with the Shenzhou‑21 crewed flight, underscoring how tightly integrated this technology has become with the country’s broader human spaceflight infrastructure. Separate reporting noted that the launch pad and rocket configuration matched earlier spaceplane flights, reinforcing that this was not a one‑off experiment but part of a maturing program built around the Long March family.
Chinese authorities have confirmed that this is the fourth orbital outing for the reusable spacecraft since 2020, and that the mission is officially framed as a technology verification effort rather than an operational deployment. One detailed account described how the payload is a reusable space shuttle often referred to domestically as Shenlong, and stressed that, officially, this is its fourth mission. Another analysis noted that Beijing has again labeled the flight a technology verification mission, a choice of language that allows the government to signal progress while avoiding any admission that the vehicle is already part of an operational military toolkit.
A secretive program built on incremental, long‑duration flights
Shenlong’s development pattern has been methodical, with each mission stretching the envelope a little further while revealing almost nothing about the vehicle’s design. The first known orbital flight of the Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft took place in 2020, and subsequent missions have stayed in orbit for months at a time before gliding back to Earth. One earlier flight launched from Jiuquan on a Long March 2F and remained in orbit for 267 days, a duration that puts Shenlong squarely in the same endurance class as the US X‑37B and confirms that China can sustain complex systems in space for most of a year.
Officials have remained tight‑lipped about the spaceplane’s specifications, declining to release images, dimensions, or payload details, even as they celebrate each successful landing. Reporting on a previous mission emphasized that China has stayed silent on the vehicle’s exact capabilities, while analysts suggest that the craft is designed to support long‑term space objectives that could include satellite servicing, on‑orbit experiments, or more sensitive military tasks. Another account of the program’s evolution noted that the same rocket model used for the spaceplane has also lofted other Chinese missions, reinforcing the idea that Shenlong is being woven into a broader architecture rather than treated as a standalone curiosity.
Racing the US X‑37B while insisting on peaceful use
From the start, Shenlong has been interpreted as a direct challenger to the US Air Force’s X‑37 program, which has flown multiple long‑duration missions and set records for time spent in orbit. A detailed technical comparison years ago framed the contest as a reusable space race in which China’s Shenlong takes on the USAF X‑37 programme, asking whether the Chinese vehicle can match the performance of the Boeing‑built craft that carries the number 37 in its designation. That same analysis highlighted how the X‑37B’s repeated flights had already demonstrated the strategic value of a reusable, uncrewed spaceplane, setting a benchmark that any rival system would inevitably be measured against.
More recent reporting underscores that The US still leads this niche, with the X‑37B’s eighth mission launched last August aboard a SpaceX rocket and continuing to push the envelope on classified experiments and long‑duration operations. Chinese commentators have not hidden their concern about that capability, with one security‑focused assessment noting that Beijing has referred to the X‑37B as a Space Killer as the US spaceplane lifts off again, language that reflects fears about potential anti‑satellite roles. At the same time, Chinese officials publicly stress that their own program is for the peaceful use of space, a phrase echoed in domestic coverage that describes the Shenlong missions as part of a broader Programme for peaceful use of outer space even as the technology clearly has dual‑use potential.
Military interest, classified missions and the cost calculus
Behind the diplomatic language, military planners on both sides are watching these flights closely. In the United States, But Space Force General B. Chance Saltzman has publicly said that China is extremely interested in the US spaceplane, a remark that underscores how Shenlong is viewed in Washington as a response to American advances. On the Chinese side, official statements about the reusable experimental spacecraft are sparse and carefully worded, but the decision to pair the latest launch with a crewed Shenzhou mission and to use the same Long March‑2F infrastructure that supports human spaceflight suggests that senior leaders see the spaceplane as a strategic asset, not a side project.
The missions themselves are deeply classified, with no public manifest of what Shenlong carries or what it does in orbit, but some clues have emerged from previous flights. One account of an earlier mission noted that the spacecraft returned to Earth after 276 days in orbit, a duration that hints at complex on‑orbit tasks and a robust thermal protection system. Another report on the latest launch stressed that the reusable spacecraft is expected to help reduce per‑mission costs of spaceflight, a point echoed in a brief dispatch that described how Reuters has framed the program as part of a broader push to lower costs and increase flexibility. That cost calculus is central to why both sides are investing in spaceplanes: a vehicle that can be launched, recovered, refurbished and flown again offers a way to test new hardware, deploy small payloads or even retrieve objects from orbit without building a new rocket for every mission.
Strategic implications for the broader space race
Shenlong’s latest outing is not happening in isolation, it is part of a wider surge in Chinese space activity that includes crewed stations, lunar plans and a growing commercial sector. A general overview of China’s national profile underscores how space has become a central pillar of its technological ambitions, with reusable systems seen as a way to sustain long‑term operations in orbit. Within that context, the Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft stands out as a flagship project, with one technical summary noting that the Shenlong missions have now become routine enough that officials can announce a fourth flight without offering any new technical details. Another analysis of the same launch stressed that China is using the program to advance its reusable spacecraft ambitions in a way that mirrors, but does not yet match, the US X‑37B.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
