What To Know
- Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and famous satellite hunterwas the first to report this event, speculating on X that the object could be a sub-satellite deployment or a piece of hardware ejected before the end of the mission and deorbit.
- As a reminder, a subsatellite deployment is an operation in which a smaller satellite, called a subsatellite, is released by a main satellite in orbit.
- As China continues its space development, these advances underscore the growing importance of closely monitoring space activities, as well as the need for transparency and international cooperation to ensure the security and sustainability of outer space.
On its third space mission, China’s reusable experimental spacecraft launched on December 14, 2023, attracted the attention of the US Space Force by placing an unidentified object into orbit on May 24. What is it?
New secret object released into orbit
Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and famous satellite hunterwas the first to report this event, speculating on X that the object could be a sub-satellite deployment or a piece of hardware ejected before the end of the mission and deorbit. As a reminder, a subsatellite deployment is an operation in which a smaller satellite, called a subsatellite, is released by a main satellite in orbit. This technique is often used to deploy additional instruments or payloads in space. Subsatellites can have a variety of functions, such as collecting scientific data or performing specific experiments. Previous missions of the spacecraft have also involved the release of objects in orbit, suggesting that they could be used for proximity and capture maneuvers. For its part, China has maintained strict secrecy around this mission by not providing any official images or descriptions of the spacecraft. The official Chinese report on the activity simply mentioned that Verification of reusable technologies and space science experiments were conducted in accordance with plans to support peaceful use of space.
A lack of transparency
The mission is part of China’s efforts to develop capabilities similar to the U.S. Air Force’s X-37B, a reusable space plane that is also top secret. X-37B is already well established and has carried out its seventh mission last year. The Chinese spacecraft is still in its early stages and has completed its third mission after flights in 2020 and 2022The first flight lasted two days, while the second lasted 276 days.
The American X-37B spaceplane. Credits: Boeing/US Space Force This third flight also saw the spacecraft perform maneuvers to change its orbit. It entered an initial orbit of 333 kilometers by 348 kilometers with an inclined altitude of 50 degrees. US Space Force space domain awareness data later showed that the spacecraft raised its orbit through a series of maneuvers, entering a current orbit of 602 kilometers by 609 kilometers. However, again, details about this project remain limited. As China continues its space development, these advances underscore the growing importance of closely monitoring space activities, as well as the need for transparency and international cooperation to ensure the security and sustainability of outer space.
