China's Shenlong Spaceplane Releases Unidentified Object During Fourth Orbital Mission
By
Passant Rabie
Summary
China's experimental Shenlong spaceplane, launched in February for its fourth orbital mission, has released an unidentified object in orbit. The object was first detected by LeoLabs' Kiwi Space Radar in New Zealand and confirmed as having been deployed by the spaceplane. This adds to the mystery surrounding the reusable vehicle, as China has released little information about the spacecraft or its objectives. The incident follows a pattern of similar behavior observed during Shenlong's previous missions, where it has released objects into orbit.
Source
bskyChina's Shenlong Spaceplane Releases Unidentified Object During Fourth Orbital Missiongizmodo.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledFollowing additional observations across multiple passes, we can confirm that the object was indeed deployed by the Shenlong spaceplane.
The object was first observed by LeoLabs' Kiwi Space Radar in New Zealand and later confirmed as having been deployed by the spaceplane.
China's spaceplane, dubbed Shenlong (or Divine Dragon), launched on February 7 for its fourth orbital mission.
You might also wanna read
China's Shenlong space plane releases mystery object in orbit, surveillance firm reports
China's Shenlong space plane, on its fourth classified mission launched in February 2026, has been observed releasing a mystery object in or
space.com·7d ago
ExPace's Kuaizhou-11 Rocket Unaccounted For Hours After Jiuquan Launch
ExPace's Kuaizhou-11 launch vehicle (Y13) lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on June 17th at 11:58 CST carrying customer satell
china-in-space.com·13d ago
China Prepares Three Reusable Rockets for Debut Flights This Year
China is preparing for the debut flights of three partially reusable rockets before the end of the year, marking significant progress in its
china-in-space.com·7mo ago
China's Reusable Experimental Spacecraft (CSSHQ): A Fact Sheet on Orbital Testing and Counterspace Debate
This fact sheet examines China's reusable experimental spacecraft (CSSHQ) program, detailing its role as a technology demonstrator for reusa
swfound.org·7d ago
Tianwen-1 Mars Mission Signal Lost Since December 2025, Status Unknown
The article discusses the loss of signal from China's Tianwen-1 Mars mission, which AMSAT-DL (German amateur radio satellite organization) h
destevez.net·6mo ago
China launches TJSW-26A experimental communications satellite to geostationary orbit via Long March 7A
China launched the TJSW-26A experimental communications satellite aboard a Long March 7A rocket from Wenchang Space Launch Site on June 23,
china-in-space.com·8d ago
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation.
No comments yet. Be the first.