US military intelligence has confirmed that a mysterious satellite image, which had been circulating online for several years, depicts a secret Chinese spaceplane. The craft bears a resemblance to the X-37B uncrewed space shuttle used by the US Space Force. This information comes from The War Zone (TWZ), citing a new report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
The high-resolution image was included in a declassified US intelligence report on space security threats, published on October 26. The photo was captured in 2024 by a satellite belonging to Maxar Technologies—a company now operating under the name Vantor.
US intelligence confirms the authenticity of an image showing a secret Chinese spaceplane. Photo © The War Zone / Vantor
The photograph shows a small, winged craft featuring two vertical stabilizers and an open payload bay. At the rear, there is an additional structure equipped with deployed solar panels.
However, there are notable differences between the two vehicles. Specifically, the Chinese spaceplane has a longer wing chord—the distance between the leading and trailing edges of the wing. The image also reveals features likely intended to house landing gear.
Vantor stated that the image was captured on May 28, 2024, by the WorldView-3 satellite. At the time the photo was taken, the distance to the spaceplane was less than 90 kilometers.
The US intelligence report mentions two Chinese reusable spacecraft programs: Shenlong and Tengyun. The agency has not disclosed which of the two is shown in the image. Such vehicles are capable of carrying equipment into orbit, conducting tests, and returning to Earth for reuse.
Since 2020, China has already carried out four orbital missions involving experimental spaceplanes. The most recent launch took place on February 7, 2026. The purpose of most of the experiments conducted in orbit has not been officially disclosed.
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