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Did China’s space plane throw something into orbit?

A Chinese spaceplane launched from Jiuquan on August 4, 2022, beginning a mission around which there are many mysteries. 

What did the Chinese spacecraft do in space?

For example, on October 31, the craft ejected something into orbit. That something could have been a service module, and usually indicates that the spacecraft is preparing to return to Earth. I would like to point out that this is a robotic spaceplane, there was no crew in it.

There is a theory that this something is a small satellite designed to monitor the Chinese spaceplane. Given that after the ejection of something automatic space plane remained in the air for quite a long time, the version is not without plausibility.

This was the second orbital flight of the robotic spaceplane. It stayed in the air for 276 days. 

The vehicle landed on May 8 at the Jiuquan spaceport in northwest China, meaning it returned to its takeoff site. China’s first orbital spaceplane flight took place in September 2020 and lasted two days.

This is an important success for China’s research in reusable spacecraft technology, which will provide more convenient and affordable circular flight methods for the peaceful use of space in the future.

What does the Chinese device look like?

This launch has sparked comparisons and contrasts with other space missions and developments, such as:

  1. NASA’s Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes. Launched in 1977, these spacecraft have traveled far beyond our solar system, providing invaluable data about the outer planets and interstellar space.
  2. NASA’s Mars rovers, including most recently the Perseverance rover. These robotic explorers navigate the Martian surface, conducting experiments, taking samples, and searching for signs of past or present life, similar to the mysterious Chinese spaceplane mission.

Japan’s Hayabusa mission demonstrates the complexity of robotic space exploration. These vehicles have visited asteroids, collected samples, and returned them to Earth, demonstrating the intricacies of precision navigation and sample retrieval similar to the intricate maneuvers of the Chinese spaceplane.

Exploration of the Moon by countries such as China and India demonstrates the global interest in studying our celestial neighbor. The Chang’e and Chandrayaan-2 missions demonstrate the technological prowess required for successful landings and lunar exploration.

as well as the X-37B space plane very similar to the Chinese space plane that the U.S. military has been stubbornly silent about.  

What is the X-37B?

The U.S. Space Force has a mini-fleet of X-37B robotic spaceplanes that have been flying secret missions since 2010.

The most recent mission, codenamed OTV-6, was launched in May 2020 and is still ongoing.

Image credit:
https://www.space.com

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