https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/chinas-mystery-spaceplane-releases.html?fbclid=IwAR31eq4KkBtS-8disF0GIYm4DbNIk7bGg5Pg5qTDrECv19ZyJyz0f2ShDVU China’s secretive reusable spaceplane has released an object into orbit, according to tracking data from the U.S. Space Force.
China carried out the second launch of its “reusable experimental spacecraft” from Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert atop a Long March 2F rocket Aug. 4.
The spacecraft has now been in orbit for 90 days. Two weeks ago the spacecraft raised its perigee—or the point during its orbit at which a spacecraft is closest to Earth—to shift to a near-circular 597 by 608-kilometer orbit.
In a latest development the U.S. Space Force’s 18th Space Defense Squadron has tracked an object close to the spaceplane. The Space-track.org database added a new entry for an object in a similar orbit to the spacecraft Oct. 31 (NORAD ID 54218 (2022-093J COSPAR ID)).
The object—the nature of which is unknown—is likely in very close proximity to the spacecraft and thus only entered into the database once it could be discerned to be a separate, discrete object with a high level of confidence.
Robert Christy of Orbital Focus notes that the release of the object could have taken place anytime between Oct. 24 and Oct. 31, performing station-keeping to remain close to the spaceplace.
China has not released any updates on the mission since a terse statement announcing the launch of the spacecraft. No images of the craft have been published.
This is not the first time the spacecraft has ejected an object. China’s spaceplane released an object around two orbits before deorbiting at the end of its first, two-day mission in September 2020. The object broadcast S-band transmissions for weeks afterwards.
One possibility is that the object is a small satellite for monitoring the spaceplane. Chinese crew capsules have previously released ‘Banxing’ small companion satellites for monitoring purposes. It could also be a test for deploying small satellite payloads into orbit.
Another possible explanation is that the object is a service module, astronomer and spacecraft tracker Jonathan McDowell noted in a tweet.
Little is known about China’s spaceplane project. Chinese space authorities have closely guarded launch operations and only announced its two missions once the spacecraft was in orbit.
Clues as to the dimensions and shape of the craft appeared in August however with apparent images of the payload fairing for the mission appearing online.
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