HELSINKI – China’s experimental reusable space plane has used a smaller spacecraft to test proximity operations, even capturing the object.
China launched its space plane for the third time via a Long March 2F rocket on December 14, 2023. The spacecraft launched an object into orbit, first cataloged by the US Space Force space field awareness teams on May 24, after orbit growth and months of stable operation.
Analysis of orbital data and observations from Leiden, the Netherlands, by Marco Langbroek, a lecturer in Optical Space Situational Awareness at Delft University of Technology, suggests that the spacecraft used the spacecraft, Object G, to test the operations of meeting and proximity (RPO). June 7-8.
Such operations could be useful for acquiring, repairing and maintaining friendly satellites, or potentially nefarious anti-space operations against adversary spacecraft.
After extracting the object, the spacecraft performed an evasive maneuver and later made additional maneuvers between June 5-7, Langbroek said in his blog post. They approached the object again on June 8.
“Several combinations of orbital data for epoch 24160 suggest that a possible very close approach at the kilometer level or even less may have occurred on June 8 around 14-15 UTC,” Langbroek wrote.
“The rapid maneuvering evident from the apparent orbital changes at other successive sites from June 8-9 makes it somewhat difficult to prove the true distances involved.” Elsets is short for “element sets”, which are used in the field of satellite tracking and orbital mechanics.
While it is unclear whether the spacecraft picked up and briefly released Object G, their close approach suggests deliberate proximity operations.
Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist and spaceflight activity tracker, said SpaceNews he reached similar conclusions to Langbroek about potential RPOs.
This would not be the first such activity for China’s space plane. Data from private firm Leolabs suggests the spacecraft performed at least two and possibly three docking operations with a co-orbital object during its second flight in 2022-2023.
China has also conducted RPOs in geostationary orbit. Shijian-21 pulled a dead satellite into a high graveyard orbit in December 2021. The GEO belt is also the scene for counterspace activities involving the United States, Russia and China. The US military is looking to strengthen its ability to detect and track potential threats in GEO.
The secret space plane project
China has kept the mission strictly secret. The country’s space authorities have not released images or descriptions of the spacecraft. The only official Chinese report on the activity is a brief launch report hours after the event.
“During this period, verification of reusable technology and space science experiments will be conducted as planned to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space,” the report said.
The spacecraft is seen as an attempt by China to develop capabilities similar to the X-37B. He is currently on his third mission. Reusable spacecraft represent a significant advance in space technology, offering the potential for reduced costs and increased mission frequency.
The initial flyby in 2020 lasted two days, while the second mission in 2022 was extended to 276 days. Both missions involved locating an object while in orbit. The interval between the first and second missions was nearly two years, with the third mission following a gap of seven months.
The reusable spacecraft is intended to work in conjunction with a reusable suborbital first stage. This suborbital spacecraft, which uses vertical takeoff and horizontal landing, was first tested in 2021. A second mission flew in August 2022.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), which developed the spacecraft, announced plans for a fully reusable, two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) space transportation system ahead of the first launch. In 2022, CASC’s space plane project received national funding from the Natural Science Foundation of China.
Meanwhile, the US Space Force’s X-37B space plane began its seventh mission on December 28 last year. Launched on a Falcon Heavy for the first time, it is believed to have been sent into a highly elliptical, high-inclination orbit at a higher altitude than previous missions. The X-37B, a stealthy and autonomous reusable vehicle, has been flying since 2010.
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