China’s secret spaceplane is believed to have ejected an unknown object into orbit after circling 166 days around Earth.
Not much is known about China’s experimental spacecraft, however, the world only knows that it is reusable. Even little is known about the technology that has just been released into the Earth’s rotation.
US Military’s Space Force Catalogues This Object as 59884
A faction of the US military, the Space Force has catalogued this object as 59884.
Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and a space activity tracker was one of the first to spot the ejection on 24 May.
Who Spotted It?
One of the first to spot the ejection on May 24 was space activity tracker and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’ Jonathan McDowell.
McDowell speculated in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) days later that the object could be a subsatellite.
What Did China’s Secret Spaceplane Eject In Earth’s Orbit?
It could be a hardware piece discarded at the end of an unspecified mission. Or it could be an object sent out to test capture maneuvers with the spacecraft, as occurred during its second test flight in orbit.
“During this period, reusable technology verification and space science experiments will be carried out as planned to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space,” Chinese authorities stated in a launch report that was issued hours after the event.
A close ally of China, Russia launched an counter-space weapon a few days ago into the “same orbit” as a US spy satellite.
Former British Defence and Foreign Minister Tobias Ellwood told The Sun earlier this month that China’s plans to further develop its satellite radio navigation system caused problems for Britain and other Western countries.
China Maintains Strict Secrecy
China has maintained the spaceplane, called CSSHQ, as a top secret. The only images available of the space plane are those leaked by insiders.
However, experts believe this is an attempt by China to develop a competitor to the American X-37B spaceplane.
What Do Experts Say?
According to experts, CSSHQ launched aboard a Long March 2F rocket in December 2023, making it its longest mission to date.
The spaceplane is believed to have spent the last seven months, or 166 days, in orbit. Its first launch took place in September 2020 and lasted only two days.
Ahead of its first launch, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the spacecraft’s developer, announced plans to develop a fully reusable two-stage-to-orbit space transportation system (TSTO).