Chinese spacecraft returns to Earth after maiden flight

BEIJING, July 16 (Reuters) – A Chinese spacecraft capable of flying to the edge of the atmosphere took off and returned to Earth on the same day, which China said was a big step in the development of reusable space transportation technology.

The spacecraft took off from a launch center in northwestern China on Friday and completed its flight under “established procedures,” said China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), the main space subcontractor. from the country.

It then landed on Earth “horizontally,” the CCAC said in a statement.

A spacecraft that can fly in suborbital space should be able to travel up to 100 km (62 miles) above the Earth’s surface. The CCAC did not specify how high the spacecraft flew, nor did it specify its flight path. Visuals of the spacecraft or its flight were not provided.

“The development of reusable space transportation technology is an important symbol of China’s transition from a” great “space nation to a” powerful “space nation,” the CCAC said.

A reusable spacecraft would result in a higher frequency of missions and lower mission costs due to its reusability.

In September last year, China sent an experimental spacecraft into orbital space aboard a rocket. The spacecraft returned to Earth after two days in orbit for its covert mission.

Commentators on Chinese social media have speculated that Beijing is developing a spacecraft like the US Air Force’s X-37B, an autonomous space plane that can stay in orbit for long periods of time before returning to Earth on its own.

It is not known whether the orbital and suborbital spacecraft launched by China had fixed wings like the US space shuttle.

Reporting by Ryan Woo Editing by Mark Heinrich

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