The Shenlong spaceplane has been photographed in orbit in the clearest image yet made public, after the United States Defense Intelligence Agency included the picture in its latest unclassified report. The photograph, taken in 2024 by a commercial imaging satellite operated by Maxar Technologies, now called Vantor, appears on page 53 of the 130-page report titled Challenges to Security in Space. It shows the winged craft from below, with its underside, wings and rear service module visible in detail.
Until now, the public had only hazy views of the Shenlong spaceplane. A low-resolution picture of a similar craft was shown by a United States Space Force official at a conference in South Korea in 2024, but the new image is far sharper. The caption in the Defense Intelligence Agency report describes only an unnamed Chinese spaceplane. Space journalist Andrew Jones first drew attention to the picture, and several outlets identified the craft as Shenlong, whose name means divine dragon.
The image shows the Shenlong spaceplane with delta wings, open payload bay doors, a dark heat shield and a service module at the rear fitted with solar arrays. Popular Science noted that the solar arrays deploy from the rear of the craft rather than sitting on top of it. Ars Technica described the design as, to a great degree, a copy of the X-37B spaceplane flown by the United States Space Force, although other reports noted differences in wing shape. One account said the Chinese craft has longer wings than its American counterpart.
What the Shenlong spaceplane photo shows
The photograph was taken during the Shenlong spaceplane’s third known orbital mission, which launched in December 2023 and lasted 268 days. The craft is shown with its service module still attached, a detail that helps analysts judge its layout. The open payload bay doors are also visible, along with the small wings and twin vertical tails described in later reports on the image.
China has released almost no detail about the programme. The Defense Intelligence Agency report names two Chinese spaceplane designs, Shenlong and Tengyun, without saying which one appears in the photograph. Tengyun has not been confirmed to have launched, which makes Shenlong the likely subject, but the agency itself did not confirm the identity. Beijing has not disclosed the objectives of the missions.
Shenlong spaceplane missions since 2020
The Shenlong spaceplane made its orbital debut in 2020 with a brief mission lasting two days, landing back at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. A second mission launched in August 2022 and spent 276 days in Earth orbit. The third mission, in December 2023, lasted 268 days. A fourth mission launched on February 7, 2026, from Jiuquan aboard a Long March 2F rocket, and by late October it had lasted 262 days.
During its flights, the Shenlong spaceplane has released at least nine unidentified objects, likely small satellites, and has carried out approach and rendezvous tests. The Defense Intelligence Agency said Shenlong released and interacted with an object during one mission. China has not announced or confirmed the deployment of those objects, even after they were catalogued by the United States military. Tracking observers have also reported that the craft approached another object several times.
Why the Shenlong spaceplane photo matters
China first revealed the existence of its reusable experimental spacecraft programme in 2007, and almost two decades later the new photograph gives outside analysts their first detailed look at the hardware. The picture does not answer the main questions about the craft, including what it carries and what its current mission is meant to test. The fourth mission remained in orbit when the report was published.