A satellite owned by commercial operator Vantor, formerly Maxar, captured an image of China's top-secret spaceplane in 2024, and that picture was released two years later, according to Ars Technica. For years, space trackers have watched the craft, dubbed Shenlong, circle the Earth and release mysterious objects, but getting an actual look at it had proven near impossible until now.
The photo shows a vehicle with two slim wings and what appears to be a docked satellite featuring two large solar arrays. The design closely recalls the US military's Space Force X-37B spaceplane. The image was released as part of the Pentagon's recently unclassified Defense Intelligence Agency assessment on space-based threats.
Beyond offering a rare first-hand look, the report itself provides little about what the spaceplane is actually doing in orbit. China has been extremely secretive about the purpose of its four spaceplane missions over the last six years. Its space agency has previously claimed Shenlong will pave the way for more convenient and affordable round-trip methods for the peaceful use of space in the future. Experts suggest the spaceplane has also been used to capture other objects, possibly using robotic arms.
The Space Force's X-37B, developed by Boeing, has spent thousands of days circling the planet over the last 16 years. Its most recent mission launched in August 2025. In 2024, the plane performed a risky aerobraking maneuver designed to lower itself from a highly elliptical orbit.
The Pentagon also warned in its latest report that the Chinese military has multiple ground-based laser weapons with varying power levels to disrupt, degrade, or damage satellites. The report states that by the late 2020s, China may field space-based directed energy systems and higher-powered ground-based directed energy systems capable of threatening satellites in higher orbits.