"China’s secretive miniature spaceplane, a unique asset that could play a key role in supporting future military operations in space, has reportedly cleared a key test hurdle, according to state media and other reports.

This month, The Warzone reported that China’s mini spaceplane touched down on an unspecified runway located in the Gobi Desert after 276 days in orbit after being launched on August 4, 2022.
...
In a separate article this month, The Warzone reported that LeoLabs, a private space services company, claims that its data shows China’s mini spaceplane docked with or captured a separate smaller object on multiple occasions during its 276-day space
mission.
...
In an August 2022 article for The Debrief, Tim McMillan notes that although China’s mini spaceplane program is shrouded in secrecy, it has striking physical similarities to the US X-37B clandestine spacecraft.
...
Mizokami notes that the US X-37B is built to spend months in orbit performing classified missions for the US military. He says that it uses atmospheric physics for self-defense and eluding enemies. Its payload bay is its chief advantage that enables them
to launch and recover payloads, then land at any suitable runway in its path.

However, a 2019 paper by the Union of Concerned Scientists points out that the US X-37B is a poor platform for potential missions and as a space weapon.

The paper mentions several X-37B design flaws that make it too large and non-maneuverable to be a spy platform while it is not cost-efficient enough for retrieving space equipment. It also says it has too small of a payload to launch multiple satellites
and lacks the technology to rendezvous and dock with other satellites.

The paper says that X-37B is also impractical as a space weapon as it lacks close-in maneuverability and the ability to interface with other satellites. It notes that space-based weapons intended to attack ground targets are more costly, less secure and
unreliable compared to ground-based systems.

China’s mini spaceplane may have design features that rectify the shortcomings of the US X-37B, capitalizing on the “latecomers advantage” that improves and builds on existing designs rather than developing new designs from the bottom up and
undergoing a costly and time-consuming trial-and-error test process. "

https://asiatimes.com/2023/05/chinas-secretive-mini-spaceplane-comes-into-limited-view/

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 11:10:12 PM UTC+8, ltlee1 wrote:

"China’s secretive miniature spaceplane, a unique asset that could play a key role in supporting future military operations in space, has reportedly cleared a key test hurdle, according to state media and other reports.

This month, The Warzone reported that China’s mini spaceplane touched down on an unspecified runway located in the Gobi Desert after 276 days in orbit after being launched on August 4, 2022.
...
In a separate article this month, The Warzone reported that LeoLabs, a private space services company, claims that its data shows China’s mini spaceplane docked with or captured a separate smaller object on multiple occasions during its 276-day space

mission.

...
In an August 2022 article for The Debrief, Tim McMillan notes that although China’s mini spaceplane program is shrouded in secrecy, it has striking physical similarities to the US X-37B clandestine spacecraft.
...
Mizokami notes that the US X-37B is built to spend months in orbit performing classified missions for the US military. He says that it uses atmospheric physics for self-defense and eluding enemies. Its payload bay is its chief advantage that enables

them to launch and recover payloads, then land at any suitable runway in its path.

However, a 2019 paper by the Union of Concerned Scientists points out that the US X-37B is a poor platform for potential missions and as a space weapon.

The paper mentions several X-37B design flaws that make it too large and non-maneuverable to be a spy platform while it is not cost-efficient enough for retrieving space equipment. It also says it has too small of a payload to launch multiple

satellites and lacks the technology to rendezvous and dock with other satellites.

The paper says that X-37B is also impractical as a space weapon as it lacks close-in maneuverability and the ability to interface with other satellites. It notes that space-based weapons intended to attack ground targets are more costly, less secure

and unreliable compared to ground-based systems.

China’s mini spaceplane may have design features that rectify the shortcomings of the US X-37B, capitalizing on the “latecomers advantage” that improves and builds on existing designs rather than developing new designs from the bottom up and

undergoing a costly and time-consuming trial-and-error test process. "

https://asiatimes.com/2023/05/chinas-secretive-mini-spaceplane-comes-into-limited-view/

China's mini space plane will succeed. US mini plane to an end in a museum. US mini plane will come to stand still.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)