A newly declassified US intelligence assessment has provided the clearest public view yet of China’s highly secretive reusable spaceplane, offering fresh insight into a spacecraft that has long drawn comparisons with the US Space Force’s X-37B.

The image, released by the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in its latest unclassified space security assessment, confirms that a previously circulated satellite photograph does indeed depict China’s experimental orbital vehicle.

Captured by a satellite operated by Maxar Technologies, now known as Vantor, the high-resolution image reveals a compact winged spacecraft featuring twin vertical tails, an open payload bay and an attached rear service module equipped with deployed solar arrays. While its overall design closely resembles the American X-37B, the Chinese vehicle appears to possess longer wings and a somewhat different configuration.

The DIA highlighted the significance of reusable spacecraft, stating: “A key capability for reusable space activities are spaceplanes like this PRC [People’s Republic of China] Spaceplane captured by Maxar. Spaceplanes can launch into orbit to place objects in space or even test them and return to earth.”

Although the agency did not disclose when the imagery was captured, the photograph bears a 2024 copyright date and is believed to have been taken during the spacecraft’s third orbital mission. The image resolves years of speculation by definitively identifying the vehicle as a Chinese reusable spaceplane after a lower-quality version circulated publicly without confirmation of its origin.

China has now conducted four known orbital missions involving the experimental spacecraft since 2020. Its most recent mission began on 7 February 2026 and the vehicle remains in orbit according to the latest available information. The programme has attracted considerable attention because of its increasingly sophisticated orbital activities.

During its third mission, which lasted from 14 December 2023 until 6 September 2024, the spacecraft was observed releasing several smaller objects into orbit. The identities and functions of these objects have not been publicly disclosed.

Independent orbital tracking data analysed by astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell further suggested that, during the current mission, the spacecraft deployed and later recaptured a smaller object, demonstrating an apparent capability for rendezvous and proximity operations.

Such manoeuvres indicate that the vehicle may be capable of inspecting, servicing, retrieving or interacting with other spacecraft in orbit. However, Chinese authorities have not revealed the programme’s exact objectives, payloads or operational requirements.

In Western reporting, the spacecraft is frequently referred to as Shenlong, meaning “Divine Dragon”, although its official designation remains uncertain. The DIA assessment references both the Shenlong and Tengyun reusable spaceplane projects but does not specify which vehicle appears in the released image.

Public discussion of the Shenlong program dates back to at least 2007, when images appeared showing what was believed to be a prototype carried beneath an H-6 bomber. Meanwhile, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation publicly unveiled its Tengyun reusable spaceplane concept in 2016. Whether a planned Tengyun test flight occurred remains unclear.

The Chinese spacecraft shares several visible characteristics with the X-37B, including its winged fuselage, orbital payload bay and reusable operational concept. Like its American counterpart, it is launched atop a conventional rocket, conducts autonomous missions in orbit and subsequently returns to Earth for a runway landing.

Reports have previously identified a highly secretive airbase in north-western China, featuring an exceptionally long runway, as a potential landing site for the vehicle. Nevertheless, the available imagery provides no evidence that the spacecraft carries weapons or is intended for offensive military operations.

The United States has flown two X-37B vehicles, completing eight orbital missions since 2010. These spacecraft transport experiments and payloads into space before returning to Earth for refurbishment and reuse, although much of their activity remains classified.

The newly released DIA assessment places China’s reusable spaceplane development within the wider context of Beijing’s rapidly expanding space and counterspace capabilities. According to the report, “spaceplanes are … reusable and feature enhanced maneuverability, making them more suitable for certain missions than traditional satellites”.

Such spacecraft could potentially deploy satellites, conduct scientific experiments, inspect orbital assets, recover payloads and support future satellite servicing missions. Their manoeuvrability and ability to approach other objects provide capabilities beyond those typically associated with conventional satellites.

The report also warns that China has “multiple ground-based laser weapons with varying power levels to disrupt, degrade, or damage satellites in LEO”. The DIA further assesses that by the late 2020s China could field more advanced ground-based and potentially space-based directed-energy systems capable of threatening satellites operating in higher orbits.

Alongside reusable spaceplanes, the assessment highlights Chinese progress in anti-satellite missile technologies, satellite servicing and refuelling systems, robotic spacecraft and an expanding intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellite network.

While the newly released image provides the most detailed look yet at China’s reusable spacecraft, major questions remain unanswered regarding its payloads, operational role and long-term military significance.

Nevertheless, the vehicle’s resemblance to the X-37B, combined with its reported orbital manoeuvres and object-handling activities, underscores the growing importance of reusable spacecraft in the intensifying strategic competition among major powers in space.

Agencies