China’s secretive spaceplane has been spotted in orbit by a US commercial satellite, according to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
The DIA’s report [PDF] warns of developments by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea that allegedly threaten space security, at least from a US perspective. Most of the report details systems still under development, but one image on page 53 stands out: China’s spaceplane, snapped in orbit in 2024 by Maxar Technologies. The image has been seen before; a low-resolution snap from an industry symposium was shared by Bluesky user @dutchspace almost two years ago. However, the higher-resolution image in the DIA report shows more detail. The spaceplane also bears a distinct resemblance to the US Space Force’s X-37B. The uncrewed X-37 began as a NASA project in 1999 before the US Department of Defense took over. After several atmospheric tests with an X-37A variant, the X-37B was launched in 2010. The reusable spaceplane can spend years in orbit, conducting classified activities. So far, it has launched eight times…