Photo of China's secret plane in orbit released by the US
China's secret plane is caught in orbit with open doors and another satellite attached. Read more on Gazeta do Povo.
TL;DR
- The US released a detailed image of a Chinese space plane in orbit on October 26, 2026.
- The image, captured on May 28, 2024, shows the vehicle with open cargo bay doors and possibly attached to another object.
- The DIA included the photo in its 'Challenges to Security in Space' report.
- The space plane's characteristics are similar to the US X-37B, including reusability and autonomous landing.
- China's space plane program has conducted four missions, with the latest starting in February 2026.
- While China states the program is for peaceful purposes, observations suggest potential tests involving releasing or retrieving objects.
- The image was obtained using 'non-Earth imaging' (NEI) technology by the WorldView-3 satellite.