China Launches Experimental Reusable Space Plane
RandomFactor writes:
Under a veil of secrecy, China launched an experimental space plane believed to be an analog to the U.S. X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on Thursday.
The launch was
from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center using a Long March-2F/T - Chang Zheng-2F/T - launch vehicle. Launch [was] from the LC43/91 launch complex, under a veil of secrecy with no official launch photos or even a launch time disclosed.
Chinese media emitted a laconic report referring, that "the test spacecraft will be in orbit for a period of time before returning to the domestic scheduled landing site. During this period, it will carry out reusable technology verification as planned to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space."
The vehicle may have developed out of China's delta winged Shenlong project.
On December 11, 2007, the Chinese media published an interesting image of a winged spacecraft mounted on a [wing] of [an] H-6K bomber. This was the first public acknowledgment that China was trying to develop a reusable winged space system very similar to the X-37.
Codenamed 'Project 863-706', the Shenlong Project had at the time its first launch scheduled between 2006 and 2010. In fact, Shenlong was possibly a technology development program for the actual space-worthy vehicle.
No further details of the vehicle, activity, or return schedule have been made available.
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