China's space plane appears to have released a mystery object in orbit

China's reusable Shenlong space plane appears to have released an unidentified object in orbit, according to commercial tracker LeoLabs, which detected the object on June 22, 2026 and assessed with high confidence that it was released from Shenlong. Shenlong launched on Feb. 6, 2026 atop a Long March 2F from Jiuquan on its fourth mission; mission objectives were not disclosed. The object was first observed by LeoLabs’ New Zealand radar, later tracked across its network and independently cataloged, and the U.S. Space Force has since added the object to its catalog. LeoLabs characterized the activity as consistent with sub-satellite deployments the vehicle has apparently performed on prior flights.

Shenlong is a secretive, runway‑landing space plane widely compared to the U.S. X-37B and historically imaged only by telescopes. Past missions showed apparent ejections of objects, deployment of solar-array‑like structures and rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), indicating maneuvering near other space objects. RPOs enable benign tasks such as servicing or refueling, yet the same capabilities also permit close approaches that could be used to inspect or interfere with other nations’ satellites; recent Russian close‑approach tests underscore that military uses are a realistic concern, and comparable systems are being developed by other major space powers.