China's Shenlong spacecraft releases mysterious object into orbit, puzzles scientists
What's the story
China's experimental reusable spacecraft, Shenlong, has reportedly released an unidentified object into a low-Earth orbit, approximately 600km above the Earth. The object, cataloged as 59884, was ejected from the spacecraft on May 25 and has been orbiting at a similar altitude since then. This information was confirmed by the US Space Force. Here's everything we know.
Inert object
Unknown object remains inactive post release
The unidentified object has not made any maneuvers since its release, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and space activity tracker at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics. "It may just be an inert piece of hardware," McDowell stated. Scott Tilley, a Canada-based amateur astronomer who previously assisted NASA, confirmed that neither the object nor Shenlong had emitted any new signals post-release.
Mission details
Shenlong's third flight: A closer look
This marks the third flight for Shenlong, which was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert, on December 14, 2023. The spacecraft is often compared to the US military's space plane X-37B. However, little information about Shenlong's size or capabilities has been disclosed. Its maiden flight took place in 2020 and lasted only two days, while its second mission in August 2022 spanned nine months.
Past operations
Previous missions and object releases
During its second mission, Shenlong reportedly ejected and recaptured a subsatellite multiple times to test related technologies. After its third launch in December 2023, it was suggested that the spacecraft released at least five objects into low-Earth orbit. Tilley believes these objects were most likely debris from the Long March rocket that sent Shenlong to its initial orbit. "Most, if not all, of them have probably re-entered Earth's atmosphere," Tilley said.
Uncertainty
Shenlong's current orbit and future plans
Shenlong raised its orbit from around 300km to 600km in late January and has remained there since. Chinese space authorities have not disclosed details of Shenlong's latest mission or when it will return. The only information available was present in a brief report released by Chinese state media just after the launch. "It's going to operate in orbit for a period of time before returning to its intended landing site in China," Xinhua, the state news agency, reported.