Science
Reusable Chinese spacecraft lands successfully: Whats Next?
An experimental recycled spacecraft launched in orbit two days ago by China successfully returned to its designated location on Sunday, marking a milestone that could lead to cheaper round trips to space, the official said.
The mission had been kept low-key, and the state media has yet to print photos or video footage of both the launch and landing of the spacecraft. No specifics were given on the innovations that were evaluated.
Chinese social media has been rife with rumors about spacecraft similar to the U.S. The X-37B of the Air Force, an unmanned spaceplane made by Boeing that can stay in orbit for a long time before heading back to Earth on its own.
Three years ago , China announced it would launch a satellite in 2020 that could operate like an airliner and will be reusable, raising the frequency of launches and reducing mission costs.
It is not clear if the experimental spacecraft launched by China was a fixed-wing vehicle like the U.S. Space Shuttle, man. If it is identical to the X-37B, it would be around a quarter the size of the Space Shuttle.
The Chinese spacecraft was launched in orbit on Friday by Long March 2F, a series of rockets that have taken the Shenzhou spacecraft into orbit for both crewed and uncrewed missions over the years.
A Chinese national separately traveled to Shenzhou for the first time in 2003.
