Indo-Pacific news
China has launched and recovered an unmanned reusable spacecraft for the first time, marking another milestone in its space program.
The experimental spacecraft was launched by rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northern China on September 4, and it successfully entered low-earth orbit before returning to earth two days later.
The exact purpose of the mission remains unclear, but China’s state-controlled media said the mission, “will test reusable technologies during its flight, providing technological support for the peaceful use of space.” Observers have likened the craft to the US’s secretive Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), although China has released no photos or videos of the vehicle.
The flight comes as China conducted its second seaborne space launch, with a Long March 11 rocket delivering nine commercial remote sensing satellites belonging to the Jilin-1 03 family into a 535 kilometre Sun-synchronous orbit.
