China's secret Shenlong spaceplane releases and recaptures a satellite twice, Western analysts say
According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, China's reusable spaceplane Shenlong has released and recaptured the same small satellite twice during its fourth mission, which began in February. Analysts at the Secure World Foundation say the maneuvers, known as rendezvous and proximity operations, have both civilian and potential counterspace uses.
Bottom line — Only China and the US fly reusable spaceplanes, and neither has explained its missions, so orbital tracking remains the only public window.
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McDowell's timeline, based on US Space Force tracking data, recorded the satellite's release and recapture in June and again in August and September, and LeoLabs first detected the June release.
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The Secure World Foundation says the same manoeuvres can serve either weapons or counterspace roles or entirely peaceful servicing and debris removal, and Victoria Samson argues the intent is unknowable from outside Beijing.
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Victoria Samson estimates the spaceplane's payload bay is about the size of a pickup truck, which she says makes releasing weapons unlikely.
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The Secure World Foundation notes China has not registered the spaceplane or its released objects with the United Nations, which it says sidesteps its legal obligations.
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The Shenlong's current mission has run since February, and earlier missions lasted around 270 to 276 days, while the Space Force's X-37B has been in orbit since August 2025 and has never been observed rendezvousing with another object, according to the Secure World Foundation.
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Samson says the US and China are both 'way ahead of everybody else' in reusable spaceplane capability, while noting that the X-37B program is heavily classified.
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The Chinese spaceplane has been seen at altitudes up to 372 miles (600 km), whereas the X-37B reached 24,133 miles (38,838 km) during its OTV-7 mission in 2024, according to Supercluster.