A mysterious Chinese spacecraft returned to Earth on Monday to the Jiuquan launch centre in northwest China after staying in orbit for over nine months or 276 days, which was 100 times longer than its maiden flight less than three years ago. 

Little is known about the spacecraft and the Chinese space authorities are not in any hurry to provide information about it. However, according to a South China Morning Post report, the ‘mysterious’ spacecraft might be a reusable, uncrewed space vehicle. 

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the country’s biggest space defence contractor is known to have developed the spacecraft after it hailed the classified mission as a “complete success”, adding that it marked an “important breakthrough” in China’s research into the technology. 

Despite calling the mission a success, the contractor refused to elaborate on what kind of technology was used or how high the aircraft flew and where its orbits had taken it since its launch in early August 2022. Notably, such has been the secrecy that the Chinese space authorities are yet to release images of the craft to the public. 

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Mysterious spacecraft same as US variant?

The said spacecraft first took flight in September 2020, and spent two days in orbit, before returning to Earth. Since the reusable craft was launched using the Long March 2F rocket, experts calculated the payload capacity and concluded that the craft might be similar in design and size to the US Air Force’s Boeing X-37B.

According to the US Air Force, Boeing X-37B is a premier reusable and unmanned spacecraft which allows scientists to recover experiments in space. The US aircraft measures nine metres in length and three metres in height. It spent a record 908 days in orbit during its fifth flight since being introduced in 2010. 

Experts close to the matter, however, argue that the suspected Chinese craft could be equipped with advanced imaging and sensing equipment to keep an eye on enemies and potential targets to gather sensitive intelligence data. 

Last month, Chinese scientists allowed an artificial intelligence (AI) machine to take full control of one of its satellites. To everyone’s surprise, the AI-controlled satellite instantly locked Zoom on India’s Patna city which has the Bihar Regiment – the Indian Army unit that clashed with Chinese forces in the Galwan Valley in 2020.

The other targeted area was Osaka, one of Japan’s busiest ports, which occasionally hosts US Navy vessels operating in the Pacific.

(With inputs from agencies)