Mysterious Chinese spacecraft caught on camera for the first time

Image of Chinese space plane in orbit through 14-inch telescope by Felix Schofbanker in Austria

The mysterious Shenlong spacecraft, launched into Earth's orbit by a Long March 2F rocket on December 14, 2023, was first captured on camera by a veteran satellite observer in Austria.

Previously, China had never released images of the Shenlong, nor mentioned the ship's specific mission.

Using a 14-inch telescope and state-of-the-art satellite tracking equipment, Schofbanker spotted two solar panel-like structures at the end of the spacecraft, a feature that had never appeared in any existing renderings.

“I’m not really sure if it’s a solar panel or something like an antenna or something like that,” Schofbanker told Space.com . The observer estimated the spacecraft to be about 33 feet long, slightly longer than the US Air Force’s X-37B space plane.

During the current mission, Shenlong was observed in June releasing an object, moving several kilometers away from it, before returning a few hundred meters away.

Shenlong adjusted its altitude from its normal orbit of about 350 km to 600 km and back, demonstrating its flexible operating range.

Mysterious Chinese spacecraft launches strange object into orbit again

Shenlong, an unmanned and reusable spacecraft, was launched into orbit by a rocket and landed at a secret military airfield. Observers believe that China is using the spacecraft to test various technologies, such as manipulating or capturing satellites.

Tracking data shows that the Chinese spacecraft launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Site in Gansu Province and landed at a mysterious military airfield in Lop Nur (Xinjiang), a site linked to past nuclear testing and currently under tight control of the Chinese military.

This is the third mission of the Shenlong spacecraft, following the previous mission in August 2022 and lasting 276 days. The first flight in September 2020 lasted only 2 days.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tau-khong-gian-bi-an-cua-trung-quoc-lan-dau-bi-ghi-hinh-185240806154821742.htm