China’s top-secret spaceplane can’t hide in low-Earth orbit

A US commercial satellite photographed China’s secretive, uncrewed spaceplane in orbit in 2024, and the full-resolution image has now been released in an unclassified US Defence Intelligence Agency assessment. The sighting shows that commercial Earth-imaging satellites can also track objects in space, while offering a rare detailed view of a vehicle whose missions remain largely undisclosed.

The Chinese craft resembles the US Space Force’s X-37B, with delta wings, payload bay doors and solar arrays. China has flown four missions since 2020, lasting up to nine months; the current mission launched in February. Open-source tracking suggests it released and recaptured a small satellite twice during the summer. The DIA says spaceplanes’ manoeuvrability may suit some missions better than conventional satellites, but the report gives little detail about the craft’s purpose.