China's Secret Spaceplane Launches in Sync with X-37 Mission
China has successfully launched a reusable robotic spacecraft for the third time since 2020, as part of its secretive orbital test flights aimed at developing reusable technologies and reducing space mission costs. The uncrewed spacecraft, launched atop a Long March 2F rocket, will operate in orbit for a period of time before returning to a designated landing site in China. The specific technologies being tested and the details of the space experiments were not disclosed. China's development of a reusable spacecraft coincides with the United States' autonomous spaceplane program, the X-37B. The launch of the X-37B was postponed due to weather and technical issues, and China is expected to launch its spacecraft, known as Shenlong, around the same time as the X-37B. The development of reusable spacecraft is crucial for increasing the frequency and lowering the costs of spaceflight.