Race to space: China successfully launches mystery space plane after US cancelled its mission

As the race to space intensifies around the world, China launched a secret reusable robotic spacecraft for the third time. According to Chinese news outlet Xinhua News, the experimental spacecraft was successfully lifted off atop a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre located in the Gobi Desert. As with the previous two launches, the Xi Jinping administration did not give out technical details about the spacecraft nor shared images from the launch. Keeping the whole ordeal secret, the state media also did not reveal how long the spacecraft will be revolving around the orbit. 

According to Xinhua News, through this mission, the Chinese authorities are planning to conduct reusable technology verification and space science experiments. They believe that these experiments would provide “technical support for the peaceful use of space". Not revealing the exact period, the authorities noted that the spacecraft will operate in the orbit for "a period of time" before returning to a designated landing site in China. The last launch of the spacecraft took place in August 2022. The experimental spacecraft returned to Earth after staying in orbit for 276 days. 

Meanwhile US space plane remains on the ground 

Hours before the secretive Chinese spacecraft's launch, Elon Musk's SpaceX stood down the 7th planned liftoff of the US Space Force's X-37B reusable space plane. SpaceX even removed the Falcon Heavy rocket that contained the space plane, from the Kennedy Space Center launchpad, South China Morning Post reported. The mission known as the USSF-52, was scrubbed by Musk's company on Wednesday. SpaceX reasoned that it needed time to perform additional “system checkouts”. After the cancellation of the liftoff, the parties involved in the mission have yet to set a new date for the launch. 

Meanwhile, Chance Saltzman, US Space Force's Chief of Space Operations said that the close timings of the two space plane launches are “purely coincidental”. While speaking at the Space Force Association's Spacepower Conference this week, Saltzman said China and the US are both very interested in each other's mission. "Because it is a capability; the ability to put something in orbit, do some things, and bring it home and take a look at the results is powerful," Saltzman said. “And so these are two of the most watched objects on orbit while they're on orbit. It's probably no coincidence that they're trying to match us in timing and sequence of this,” he added.