China sends fourth ‘Shenlong’ reusable spacecraft mission into orbit

South China Morning PostEN 1 min read 100% complete by William ZhengFebruary 7, 2026 at 01:30 PM

AI Summary

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China launched its fourth mission of a reusable experimental spacecraft, potentially named Shenlong, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on Saturday. The spacecraft was carried into orbit by a Long March-2F rocket. This launch marks another step in China's reusable spacecraft program, following the first launch of such a prototype in September 2020. The mission aims to conduct technology verification to support the peaceful use of outer space. Official details about the spacecraft's specifications remain unreleased, but it is considered a possible competitor to the US Space Force's X-37B. The previous mission in 2020 lasted two days.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Xinhua News Agency ×240% Long March-2F 50% Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre 60% United States Space Force 70% Shenlong (Divine Dragon) ×280% China ×590%

Keywords

reusable spacecraft 100% china 70% space mission 70% shenlong 60% space program 50% long march-2f 50% technology verification 50% peaceful use of outer space 40%