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2h ago

China Launches Reusable Spaceplane on Fourth Secretive Orbital Flight

Analysts now look to U.S. tracking to reveal the orbit under China’s tight secrecy.

The launch pad for the Long March-2F rocket stands, ahead of the Shenzhou-21 spaceflight mission to China's Tiangong space station, at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China October 30, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
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China has launched the fourth mission of its Shenlong reusable spacecraft, continuing a tightly controlled program.

Overview

  • State media said the experimental vehicle lifted off from Jiuquan on a Long March 2F, describing the mission as technology verification for the peaceful use of space.
  • The specific orbit was not disclosed, with U.S. Space Force cataloging expected to identify the trajectory and any subsequent activity.
  • This is the fourth mission since 2020, and earlier flights released a small object, with the second and third appearing to conduct rendezvous and proximity operations.
  • The new launch follows roughly 519 days since the previous mission concluded with a landing at Lop Nur, after earlier gaps of 697 and 220 days between flights.
  • CASC leads the program with national funding and plans for a fully reusable two‑stage system, while limited disclosures and the Long March 2F’s capacity suggest a spaceplane in the class of other reusable orbital vehicles.