The Secretive Space Plane: China's Quest for Dominance in Orbit

China's secretive space plane, the "Shenlong" (meaning "Divine Dragon" in Mandarin), has landed back on Earth after spending over eight months in orbit. This latest development marks a significant milestone in China's quest to catch up with the United States in the realm of space technology. But what do we really know about this mysterious spacecraft, and what are its implications for global space security? The term "space plane" often conjures up images of NASA's Space Shuttle, which was a behemoth of a spacecraft that carried astronauts into orbit and helped construct the International Space Station. However, the newer planes currently being tested by the US and China are much smaller and uncrewed. These vehicles are designed to be reusable, able to fly in both Earth's atmosphere and space, and can land like airplanes on runways. Space planes are valued for their potential to carry out a range of missions in orbit and help countries respond quickly to developments in space, while advancing reusable spacecraft technology that could be used for more regular human space travel in the future. But what are China's goals with its space plane program? Are they solely focused on peaceful uses of space, or is there a military component at play?

Not much is known about China's space plane program, as the country has remained tight-lipped about its developments. Even the name of the spacecraft that landed back on Earth has not been confirmed, although observers suspect it is the Shenlong space plane, which has been under development for two decades. It's also unknown if this is the same vehicle or another in the same series that completed two previous missions – the first in 2020 lasted two days and the second beginning in 2022 lasted 273 days. What's clear is that China is committed to developing counterspace capabilities, which can be used to disrupt or even destroy adversaries' assets in space. While there's no evidence that China's space plane is being designed specifically as a counterspace weapon, the information and capabilities gained on its missions could have dual-use applications. But what does this mean for global space security? Are China's actions in space a threat to the United States and its allies, or are they simply a response to the growing attention being paid to the deepening connections between security on Earth and in space? The lack of transparency and openness around China's space plane program only adds to the mystery and raises concerns about the potential for misinterpretation or misadventure.

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