An event has been recorded in Earth's orbit that is intensifying the space race. During its fourth mission, the Chinese reusable spaceplane Shenlong deployed an unknown spacecraft. This is evidenced by data from the global space surveillance network.

Mysterious object in orbit

The first report of the new object came from the Kiwi Space Radar, owned by LeoLabs and located in New Zealand. The object was detected in close proximity to the Chinese spacecraft. Subsequently, analysts from the LeoLabs Delta platform conducted additional observations and confirmed that the object was indeed released from the Shenlong.

According to a company post on the X platform, the activity was recorded on June 22, 2026, at 02:30 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The detected object does not match any of the previously known spacecraft in active space catalogs.

Shenlong flight history

The Shenlong spaceplane is a development of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) — a state-owned company engaged in the production of civilian and military space systems. The vehicle's flight history includes several stages:

  • The spacecraft first performed a short two-day flight in 2020, after which it landed at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert.
  • In August 2022, the spacecraft spent 276 days in orbit.
  • In December 2023, a mission lasting 268 days began.
  • The fourth mission began on February 7 of this year.

During its flights, the Chinese spacecraft practices complex technological operations. During previous missions, Shenlong performed rendezvous maneuvers and tested the operation of satellites it released. China has released unknown objects during preliminary launches as well. Some of them even emitted radio signals, yet the PRC has never confirmed their deployment, even after they were officially cataloged by US military structures.

Goals and secrecy of the project

The official Chinese state news agency Xinhua states that the spacecraft was created for "conducting technological verification of reusable spacecraft to ensure the peaceful use of outer space." However, due to the extreme secrecy of the project, experts from the Secure World Foundation suggest that Shenlong may be developed as a potential platform for space weapons or a complex for surveillance, reconnaissance, and early warning of threats.

Parallels with the American program

Parallel to China, the United States is developing its own similar program. The US Space Force uses the experimental unmanned shuttle Boeing X-37. The American spacecraft began its eighth mission (OTV-8) on August 21, 2025, with the goal of testing orbital technologies to strengthen the US military potential in space.

At present, both secret spaceplanes are simultaneously in Earth's orbit, and their return and landing dates remain unannounced.