A new mystery is unfolding in Earth orbit after observers detected an unidentified object apparently released by China’s Shenlong space plane, one of the country’s most secretive aerospace programs.

Shenlong launched in February for its fourth mission, although there's still little information on the experimental vehicle.

A mysterious new object has appeared in orbit, and evidence suggests it came from one of China’s most secretive spacecraft. With the U.S. Space Force now confirming that an unidentified payload was ...

The Shenlong, or "divine dragon," space plane just deployed a mysterious payload above our planet. The top-secret spacecraft, which has never been properly photographed, has now released at least ...

"This activity is consistent with sub-satellite deployments conducted by the space plane in previous missions," private space ...

The Long March 2F carrying the uncrewed Shenzhou-22 spacecraft climbs into a blue sky above Jiuquan spaceport, Nov. 25, 2025. Credit: CASC HELSINKI — China’s secretive spaceplane has released an ...

A secretive Chinese space plane has released an unidentified object into orbit, a US-based surveillance company has revealed.

A Chinese experimental spacecraft, currently in Earth orbit, recently released an unknown object, raising more unanswered questions regarding the ongoing tests of the reusable vehicle. China’s ...