--- title: "A US Satellite Caught China’s Top-Secret Spaceplane on Camera" description: "A satellite owned by commercial operator Vantor (formerly Maxar) snapped a picture of China's top-secret spaceplane." date: "2026-11-01" modified: "2026-11-01" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor.md" url: "https://futurism.com/space/us-satellite-china-top-secret-spaceplane-camera" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" --- # A US Satellite Caught China’s Top-Secret Spaceplane on Camera ![A render of a Vantor satellite in orbit.]() *Vantor / Futurism* For years now, space trackers have watched as China's top-secret spaceplane, dubbed Shenlong, has been circling the Earth, releasing mysterious objects as it goes. But getting an actual look at the experimental craft has proven near impossible — until now. As [*Ars Technica* reports](), a satellite owned by commercial operator Vantor (formerly Maxar) snapped a picture of the plane in 2024, which has finally been released two years later. The photo shows a vehicle with two slim wings and what appears to be a docked satellite featuring two large solar arrays. The overall design is closely reminiscent of the [US military's own spaceplane](), the Space Force's top-secret X-37B. The image was released as part of the Pentagon's recently unclassified [Defense Intelligence Agency assessment]() on space-based threats. https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/2115093594260349180 However, beyond giving us a rare, first-hand look, the report itself offers little in terms of [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. The country's space agency has previously [claimed]() that Shenlong will "pave the way for more convenient and affordable round-trip methods for the peaceful use of space in the future." Beyond releasing mysterious objects while in orbit, experts suggest the spaceplane has also been used to capture other objects, possibly using robotic arms. Meanwhile, the Space Force's X-37B, which was developed by Boeing, has spent thousands of days circling the planet over the last 16 years. Its most recent mission launched in August 2025, well over a year ago. In 2024, the plane [slammed its brakes in orbit]() during a risky "aerobraking maneuver" designed to lower itself from a "highly elliptical orbit." Beyond getting a closer look at China's equivalent, the Pentagon 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." "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," the report reads. **More on spaceplanes:** [*Mysterious Chinese Space Plane Conducting Unknown Mission in Orbit*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() ## More - [The Space Force’s Top-Secret Spaceplane Is About to Do a Sick Stunt]() - [Amateur Spacewatcher Uses Telescope to Spot Secret Chinese Spaceplane in Orbit]() - [Space Force Releases Photo of Earth Taken by Experimental Space Plane]() - [Chinese Spacecraft Has Secret Military Use, Experts Say]() - [Chinese Spaceplane Releases Six Mysterious Objects That Are Emitting Signals]() - [Space Force Launching Secretive Experimental Spacecraft With Quantum Equipment on Board]() - [Mysterious Chinese Space Plane Conducting Unknown Mission in Orbit]() - [China Launches Mysterious “Reusable Test” Spacecraft]()