China conducts fourth reusable spacecraft mission since 2020

China launched a reusable experimental spacecraft into orbit on Saturday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the country’s northwest, state media said, marking the fourth flight in a programme Beijing frames as testing technologies for the “peaceful use of space.”

State news agency Xinhua described the mission as another round of verification, saying, “The experimental spacecraft will conduct planned technical verification of reusable spacecraft technology, providing technical support for the peaceful use of space.” Xinhua did not disclose how long the craft will remain in orbit or the specific technologies to be tested.

The vehicle lifted off atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket from Jiuquan. Specialist trackers and a Chinese space news site reported the launch came from Launch Site 91 and used the variant referenced as Long March 2F/T, with a liftoff window near midday China Standard Time. China-in-space, which maintains detailed flight timelines, called the vehicle a spaceplane-shaped Reusable Experimental Spacecraft and said it could carry experiments and deploy small independent satellites for rendezvous and proximity operations while on orbit. That outlet also said the spacecraft would likely return to land at an airfield in Lop Nur in Xinjiang “in many, many weeks or months.”

Observers point to a gradual escalation in the programme’s scope since the first flight in 2020. The inaugural reusable experimental spacecraft, launched on Sept. 4, 2020, flew for two days. A subsequent vehicle launched in August 2022 and returned in May 2023 after 276 days in orbit. The most recent multi-month mission is variously reported: Chinese state accounts and wire services said the craft that returned in 2024 spent 268 days in orbit, while China-in-space lists the December 2023 to September 2024 flight as a 266-day voyage. The differing figures appear in official summaries and independent trackers and have not been reconciled by an authoritative timeline.

Some commentators have framed the programme as a potential counterpart to the U.S. Space Force’s X-37B, noting the similar spaceplane form factor and long-duration on-orbit testing. “China launched the latest mission of its reusable experimental spacecraft – a potential rival to the US Space Force’s X-37B,” wrote observers tracking the programme. Analysts and officials in multiple countries view reusable vehicles as strategic enablers: they are considered critical to eventually increasing flight frequency and lowering per-mission costs of spaceflight, while also raising questions about dual-use capabilities and transparency.

Beyond the programme’s technical ambitions, Beijing’s public narrative emphasizes peaceful aims. Outside of the Xinhua statement, authorities provided few operational details. No official information has been released about the mission’s planned orbital altitude, exact duration, or the specific systems under test. Independent outlets republishing the Xinhua dispatch likewise noted that no further technologies or flight parameters were disclosed.

The launch extends a quietly persistent Chinese effort to master reusable, spaceplane-style vehicles. Officials are likely to release further information as the mission progresses, but until then analysts will rely on state updates, specialist trackers and orbital telemetry to assess what systems Beijing is validating and what the programme’s trajectory may mean for the balance of long-duration, responsive space operations.