China’s Shenlong space plane

China’s secretive Shenlong “Divine Dragon” reusable space plane could perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions for the People’s Liberation Army

Long March 2F: Human-rated two-stage heavy-lift launcher

Payload: 8,400kg to low Earth orbit Length: 62.0m

Shenlong: Reusable space plane, possible crew of two

Wingspan: 8m 
Length: 12m

Experiment bay: Six unidentified objects reportedly released in low Earth orbit

Human to scale

Aug 4, 2022-May 8, 2023: Shenlong remains in space for 276 days

Dec 14, 2023: Launch of third Shelling mission 

Sep 4, 2020: First Shelling orbital mission has craft in space for two days

Source: Global Security, Reuters, Space Daily  Picture: NASA  
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