{
  "id": 17121000,
  "title": "What to Know About China’s Top-Secret Spaceplane",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/what-to-know-about-chinas-top-secret-spaceplane",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-29T20:45:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Wired",
    "slug": "wired",
    "url": "https://www.wired.com/story/what-to-know-about-chinas-top-secret-spaceplane/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "China has developed a top-secret spaceplane with delta wings, payload bay doors, a heat shield, and a solar-powered service module, according to a recent assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The design of the winged ship is similar to the US Space Force's X-37B, which has been in operation since 2010. The Chinese spaceplane was first spotted by commercial satellite imaging company Maxar in 2024, and its true nature was revealed by a US Space Force official at a conference in South Korea. China has launched four spaceplane missions since 2020, with the latest one still orbiting the Earth since February.\n\nSimilar to the X-37B, the Chinese spaceplane deploys from a conventional rocket and operates as a satellite in orbit. It flies like a miniature unpiloted Space Shuttle, reentering the atmosphere and landing autonomously at the end of each mission. The spaceplane has only flown in low-Earth orbit (LEO) at altitudes of a few hundred miles. One of its missions involved catching and releasing a sub-satellite, demonstrating capability in space situational awareness.\n\nThe DIA report does not reveal much new about the specific functions of China's spaceplane. China's pursuit of anti-satellite technology, known as counterspace, includes the development of directed-energy weapons (DEWs) and ground-based laser weapons, which could potentially be used to disable or damage satellites. The DIA also noted China's testing of a robotic arm capable of snatching spacecraft, and their growing fleet of satellites called TJS that approach foreign spacecraft. The US Space Force has also developed orbital inspector satellites and procured more that could be refueled, creating a competitive landscape in space capabilities.",
  "summary": "This week, the Pentagon released a full-resolution image of the vehicle, the capabilities of which remain rather mysterious.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}