Image source: topwar.ru
China is very active in outer space, and spacecraft launched into orbit may pose a threat to US national security. This is the conclusion reached by the Intelligence Agency of the US Department of Defense (DIA).
RUMO analysts have compiled a report on space threats, drawing attention to the new Chinese Shenlong spaceplane, which was photographed by a Maxar satellite, now known as Vantor, from a distance of about 90 km back in 2024. The RUMO confirmed that the picture really shows an experimental Chinese reusable spaceplane.
At the moment, nothing is known about the Shenlong project, its activities in orbit are classified. It is known that in June, an object separated from the spaceplane, which had already been in orbit for four months, after which the spaceplane performed various maneuvers around it. The Chinese themselves limit themselves to a general formulation on the verification of reusable spacecraft technologies.
Image Source: topwar.ru
The Americans are paying attention to the design of the Shenlong, which is almost identical to the X-37B space shuttles currently used by the US Space Force. It is assumed that the mass of the device should not exceed 8 tons, since the Changzheng-2F rocket is capable of launching just such a payload into low orbit.
According to experts, China is testing technologies on the Shenlong spaceplane, and then a manned version will be created based on it.
