China’s experimental spacecraft completed its 276-day orbit and returned to Earth on Monday, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to develop reusable space technology. The uncrewed spacecraft landed at the Jiuquan launch center in northwest China as planned, but no details have been released regarding the craft’s specifications, the technologies it tested, its altitude, or orbital path. Additionally, there have been no images of the craft made public.
According to state media, the test signifies an “important” breakthrough in China’s research into reusable spacecraft technology that will make mounting future space missions more convenient and less expensive. In 2021, a similar spacecraft was sent to the edge of space and returned on the same day, with few details revealed about its mission. China’s main space contractor at the time stated that the spacecraft had landed on Earth “horizontally.”
Chinese social media commentators have speculated that Beijing has been developing a spacecraft comparable to the United States Air Force’s X-37B, which is an autonomous spaceplane that can stay in orbit for several years. The X-37B completed its sixth and most recent mission in November 2021 after orbiting the Earth for over 900 days.
China has made significant strides in space exploration in recent years, including launching an unmanned spacecraft to the moon in 2013 and a rover on the far side of the moon in 2019. Additionally, in 2020, the country launched its first Mars mission, which successfully landed a rover on the planet earlier this year. The development of reusable spacecraft technology will likely further expand China’s space ambitions and capabilities.
