China successfully launches reusable spacecraft into orbit
China launched a mysterious reusable test spacecraft using a Long March-2F rocket.
The launch took place at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert on August 4, 2022, the state press agency Xinhua reported.
It was the 18th mission for the Long March-2F launcher. The unidentified vehicle will carry out tests in orbit before returning to its landing site.
Not much else is known about the payload of this rocket. It is the second mission of this type carried out by China. The previous launch, which took place in September 2020, saw the vehicle reenter after two days, SpaceNews reported.
Some suspect China may be developing a space drone, similar to the US Space Force’s Boeing X-37 space drone, capable of navigating in low orbit and performing orbital maneuvers.
In April 2021, the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued an alert that China was developing several weapons capable of targeting the satellites operated by the US and its allies.
