Here’s What China’s Mysterious Spaceplane Actually Looks Like

For years, China’s secretive spaceplane has flown through Earth orbit as a shadowy figure, releasing unidentified objects and pulling off some strange maneuvers. Now, a newly released high-resolution photograph gives us our clearest look yet at the mysterious spacecraft—one of China’s most guarded spaceflight endeavors. The image was taken in 2024 by a commercial imaging satellite owned by Maxar Technologies, which specializes in geospatial intelligence. It was then quietly released by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in its latest unclassified report titled “Challenges to Security in Space.” Compared to previous glimpses of China’s spaceplane in orbit, the new photo finally gives us a detailed view of the experimental vehicle’s design, which appears quite similar to the U.S. Space Force’s own X-37B spaceplane. Secret missions China’s spaceplane, dubbed Shenlong (or Divine Dragon), made its orbital debut in 2020, launching for a brief, two-day mission before landing back at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. The spacecraft’s follow-up missions lasted for a significantly longer time in orbit. The spaceplane launched in August 2022 and spent 276 days in Earth orbit, and then again in December 2023 for a 268-day-long mission. The spaceplane is currently on its fourth mission, which launched on February 7. Over the course of its missions, Shenlong carried out different orbital maneuvers, as well as capture and docking operations, formation flying, and vertical takeoff and horizontal landing. The spaceplane has also released unidentified objects during its time in orbit, some of which even emitted various signals while in orbit. China has not announced or confirmed the deployment of these objects even after they were cataloged by the U.S. military. Nowhere to hide Although the DIA report doesn’t list any new information about Shenlong’s activities in orbit, the photo does offer some new details about the experimental spacecraft. The Chinese spaceplane is outfitted with delta wings, a heat shield for atmospheric re-entry, a central payload bay, and a rear-facing tail extension with solar panels deployed on each side. Like the Space Force’s X-37B, it resembles a smaller version of NASA’s Space Shuttle. The two spaceplanes have small wings and twin vertical tails and launch inside the payload shroud of a rocket, operating as a satellite in Earth orbit before reentering the atmosphere for a runway landing at the end of the mission. China’s spaceplane is a product of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a state-owned manufacturer that makes both civilian and military space launch vehicles. Throughout Shenlong’s development, China has shared little information about the technical aspects of its spaceplane or its purpose. While the recently released image will likely not prompt transparency on China’s side, it does offer a better look at its mysterious spacecraft.