China’s Mysterious Space Plane Exposed in New Pentagon Images - Newsweek

China's secretive space plane has been revealed in new images published by the Pentagon.

The photo—featured in the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) latest report on threats to U.S. security in space—shows the Chinese space plane, called Shenlong, attached to an unidentified satellite, with its solar panels deployed and payload bay doors open.

It is one of the clearest images yet of the Chinese spacecraft, which has been on missions in orbit since 2020.

"China has developed and will continue to advance weapons for use against satellites in orbit to disrupt, damage, and destroy other nations' space capabilities," the DIA said.

China's national military strategy emphasizes the safeguarding of national sovereignty and territorial integrity as its key objective and proclaims active defense—strategic defense paired with operational and tactical offense—as its guideline to contain and win wars.

"According to its national strategy and military literature, China identifies space as a strategic priority for military dominance and political influence," the DIA said.

The photograph was taken in 2024 by Vantor's WorldView-3 satellite from approximately 56 miles away, with a resolution of just 1.8 inches per pixel.

Shenlong is currently carrying out its fourth mission, after it was launched in February this year.

Beijing has not disclosed what the spacecraft is undertaking, although independent observers have repeatedly detected it releasing unidentified objects into orbit.

In June, American space intelligence company LeoLabs reported detecting a new object near the Chinese vehicle.

The company said further observations through its global tracking network had established with high confidence that the object had been released by the space plane.

"Following additional observations across our global network and analysis via LeoLabs Delta, we have independently cataloged this object and assessed with high confidence that it was released from the Chinese space plane," the company said.

"This activity is consistent with sub-satellite deployments conducted by the space plane in previous missions."

Similar activity was recorded during Shenlong's third mission, while its second mission in 2023 saw the spacecraft release another object and potentially carry out what are known as proximity and rendezvous operations. These involve two spacecrafts maneuvering close to one another, and can be used to inspect, service or interact with satellites.

Such technology also has potential military applications, although there is no confirmation that Shenlong has been used to interfere with other spacecraft.

It is also possible that some of the objects released during its missions were simply unwanted hardware discarded before the space plane returned to Earth.

China has provided few details about the program, saying only that it is intended to develop reusable spaceflight technology.

According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, the country's space agency has said the tests "will pave the way for more convenient and affordable round-trip methods for the peaceful use of space in the future."

The United States operates its own reusable robotic space plane, the Boeing-built X-37B, which is run by the U.S. Space Force.

Like its Chinese counterpart, the X-37B carries out missions, but its precise objectives are rarely disclosed.

In February 2025, the Space Force released its first photograph of the American spacecraft operating in orbit, showing its payload bay doors open.

Two years earlier, it published an illustration depicting an X-37B-like spacecraft intercepting a satellite.

Contact Newsweek editor on this story: Edward Pearcey.