The Shenlong spaceplane has appeared in what analysts say is the first clear photograph of China’s reusable orbital vehicle, included in a newly released U.S. intelligence report. The unexpected image offers the most detailed public look yet at the top-secret craft and suggests it shares a number of features with its American counterpart.
The photo is widely understood to show Shenlong, or “divine dragon,” which has flown for just over six years and has repeatedly drawn attention for deploying unidentified objects in low Earth orbit. Because China has not released images or technical details, government agencies, commercial firms, and independent researchers have relied on tools such as ground-based radar to track the vehicle’s activity.
Until now, direct views amounted to blurred points of light reflecting off the uncrewed spacecraft, providing little insight about its design or intended mission. China has not publicly disclosed photos or specifications.
On Monday, the Defense Intelligence Agency published its latest Challenges to Security in Space assessment. Buried on page 53, the report includes a previously unseen image labeled “PCR Spaceplane,” with a caption stating it was captured in 2024 by a satellite operated by Maxar Technologies, now known as Vantor. The inclusion was noted and shared on X by journalist Andrew Jones, who closely follows China’s space program.
Neither the caption nor the surrounding text describes the image as a first-of-its-kind release or explains why it had not been public earlier. The report also notes China has two spaceplane designs, Shenlong and Tengyun, but does not specify which appears in the photo. There have been no confirmed Tengyun launches, and earlier prototype imagery indicates a markedly different configuration, leading most experts to conclude the spacecraft shown is Shenlong.
Shenlong spaceplane: what the new photo shows
Shenlong is believed to operate in a fashion similar to NASA’s retired space shuttle, launching atop a rocket, orbiting Earth, then gliding to a runway landing for refurbishment and relaunch. It is not alone in orbit. The U.S. Space Force’s X-37B has completed seven missions since 2010 and is currently in low Earth orbit conducting experiments, including work on quantum navigation.
Based on the new image, Shenlong appears to share several traits with the U.S. vehicle. According to technology reporting cited by analysts, the craft features delta wings, payload bay doors, a dark heat shield, and a rear service module with solar arrays.
Specialist coverage adds that while the overall arrangement resembles the X-37B, differences in wing geometry indicate the vehicles are not externally identical. Shenlong’s exact dimensions remain unclear. For reference, the X-37B is about 29 feet long with a 15-foot wingspan.
Analysis also suggests the image does not establish a weapons role for the vehicle. Separately, the DIA assesses that China has developed and is advancing space-based weapons intended to disrupt, damage, or destroy other nations’ satellites, and that Beijing seeks preeminence in space.
The Shenlong story so far
Shenlong debuted with a two-day mission in September 2020, then completed two longer flights: roughly eight months in low Earth orbit from August 2022 to May 2023, and about nine months from December 2023 to September 2024, when the new image was taken. The vehicle is currently on its fourth mission after launching Feb. 7 on a Long March 2F from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
In total, the program has logged more than 800 days in orbit, though it is not known whether a single craft or multiple vehicles have flown. To date, Shenlong has released at least nine unidentified payloads.
These are likely small satellites such as cubesats, but their functions have not been disclosed. The most recent was deployed in June, and an astronomer tracking low Earth orbit later suggested the object was retrieved, possibly with a robotic arm, and re-released in late August.
The DIA report also notes that during a mission segment in November 2022, the spaceplane appeared to maneuver with a companion satellite, approaching to within about 330 feet and potentially capturing and releasing it. Those observations align with an existing theory that Shenlong’s primary objective is to conduct rendezvous and proximity operations, using deployed payloads as practice targets for close approaches and handling in orbit.
Those close-approach maneuvers echo broader concerns about autonomous system safety and control in space and robotics. As Shenlong’s missions grow longer and more complex, analysts say its behavior will remain a key focus for military and civilian spacewatchers alike.