U.S. releases clear photo of China’s Shenlong spaceplane
A satellite image taken by Vantor’s WorldView 3 shows China’s secretive Shenlong spaceplane docked to another satellite, revealing its design.
29 Oct 2026 0 reads Compiled with AI
A U.S. intelligence agency has released a new photograph of China’s secretive Shenlong spaceplane, showing it in clear detail. Vantor’s WorldView 3 satellite took the image from about 90 kilometers away, with a resolution of 4.5 centimeters per pixel. It shows Shenlong docked to another satellite that has its solar panels deployed, and the plane’s payload bay doors are open.
Mission context and history
Shenlong is on its fourth mission. It launched on February 7, 2026, aboard a Long March 2F rocket from China’s Jiuquan launch center. It has flown three earlier missions: a two-day flight in 2020, an eight-month stint in 2022 and 2023, and a nine-month flight in 2023 and 2024. In total, it has spent more than 800 days in orbit.
The photo shows design features similar to the U.S. Space Force’s X-37B, including delta wings, payload bay doors, a dark heat shield and a rear service module with solar arrays. The wing shape differs, though, so Shenlong is not an exact copy. The image does not establish a weapons role.
Design comparison and implications
The image appears on page 53 of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s 130-page “Challenges to Security in Space” report, released October 26, 2026. The caption says a Vantor satellite took the photo in 2024. The report does not explain its significance or say whether it is the first clear view.
In June 2026, LeoLabs detected a new object near Shenlong and concluded it was released from the spaceplane. Similar releases happened during Shenlong’s third mission, which ended in 2024, and during its second mission in 2023, when the vehicle may have carried out proximity operations.
The X-37B has completed seven missions since its first launch in 2010 and is currently testing quantum navigation. Shenlong’s overall layout resembles the American vehicle, but differences in wing shape and other details mean the two are not identical. China says Shenlong tests technologies that could make round trips to space more convenient and affordable for peaceful use.