With a 276-day flight in space, China has tested a mysterious, multi-purpose new spacecraft. The spacecraft successfully returned to Earth on Monday, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) reported in a Tuesday statement.
The prime contractor of the Chinese space program spoke of a “complete success” and an “important breakthrough” in research into reusable space technology.
In the future there will be a “more practical and cheaper way for the peaceful use of space,” it said. No further details were given. The space glider was launched on December 4, 2022 with a “Long March 2F” rocket from the Jiuquan spaceport in the Gobi desert.
Foreign experts reported that he deployed a small satellite operating in close proximity to the spacecraft.
Second secret test flight
Where the spacecraft landed was not disclosed. However, based on the trajectory and activities on the ground, foreign experts assume that the landing took place at the Lop Nor military base in western China. It was the second test with the mysterious spaceship.
There was already a four-day flight in 2020 about which little was known. There are no pictures of the new space glider yet. But experts suspect that it could possibly resemble the US Air Force’s Boeing X-27B in size and design. (dpa)
