Washington Reveals Rare Image of China's Secret Space Plane

A US military intelligence agency has released a new image of China's secret space plane, showing the vehicle docked with another spacecraft in orbit around Earth.

The image was captured by Vantor's "WorldView-3" satellite in 2024 from a distance of 56 miles, or approximately 90 kilometers.

Ground-based observers had previously managed to photograph the "Shenzhou" spacecraft, which means "Divine Dragon" in Chinese, while it was in orbit. However, the new image taken by Vantor from space revealed additional details about this mysterious vehicle with exceptional clarity, achieving a resolution of 4.5 centimeters per pixel.

The image was included in a new report issued by the Defense Intelligence Agency, which assessed the scale, nature, and scope of threats posed by US adversaries in space, according to Space.com.

Chinese spacecraft docked with unknown satellite

The image shows the robotic Chinese space plane "Shenzhou" docked with another satellite, whose solar panels appear to be deployed.

To date, experts have not been able to identify the satellite with which the Chinese craft docked.

The image also reveals the cargo bay doors of the "Shenzhou" spacecraft, which appear to be open.

These doors could provide important indicators regarding the nature of the activities conducted by the Chinese craft during its fourth mission, which launched in February 2026.

The China National Space Administration has disclosed only limited information about the objectives of this mission, stating merely that the "Shenzhou" spacecraft helps test new technologies that will "pave the way for developing easier and less costly methods for round-trip space travel, serving future peaceful uses of space."

Mysterious objects released by the craft in orbit

Despite the limited official Chinese information, space observers noted that the "Shenzhou" craft released other objects while in orbit.

In June 2026, the US company LeoLabs, specializing in space situational awareness, announced it had detected a new object near the Chinese space plane.

The company said in a statement at the time: "After conducting additional observations using our global network and analyzing data via the LeoLabs Delta platform, we independently cataloged this object in our database and concluded with high confidence that it was released from the Chinese space plane."

It added: "This activity is consistent with sub-satellite deployments performed by the spacecraft during previous missions."

This suggests that releasing small objects or sub-satellites may be one of the recurring activities of the Chinese space plane during its orbital flights.

Space maneuvers raise questions

Observers recorded a similar incident during the third mission of the "Shenzhou" craft, which ended in 2024.

During its second mission in 2023, the craft released another object and possibly performed what are known as "orbital rendezvous and proximity operations."
These operations involve two spacecraft performing precise maneuvers that allow them to approach each other while flying in orbit.

However, experts do not rule out another explanation for these activities, namely the possibility that the Chinese craft disposed of equipment or parts no longer needed before returning to Earth and landing.

Like most military-related space activities, publicly available information regarding the operations conducted by "Shenzhou" remains extremely limited.

United States possesses similar secret space plane

Secret space plane programs are not exclusive to China; the United States also operates a mysterious robotic spacecraft known as the "X-37B," manufactured by Boeing.

US authorities rarely disclose precise details about the technical capabilities of this craft or the nature of the missions it performs in space.

In February 2025, the US Space Force released the first image of the "X-37B" while it was in space, providing a rare glimpse into the nature of its orbital operations.

In the image, the craft appeared to be flying in a high Earth orbit, with its cargo bay doors seemingly open.

The US Space Force had previously published the first official illustration in 2023 showing an "X-37B"-like spacecraft in orbit around Earth while intercepting another satellite.

New space race between Washington and Beijing

These developments come at a time when China and the United States are competing for supremacy in space, in what many observers describe as a "new space race."

Amid this escalating competition, the rare images released by military and intelligence institutions may serve as a means to demonstrate some space capabilities and hint at the level of technological advancement reached by both nations, without fully revealing the nature of those capabilities or the details of covert operations.