In the photo, you can see two solar panels and estimate the size of the aircraft — probably 10 meters long, which means that the Chinese «flying spy» is larger than the X-37B operated by the US Space Force.
China’s spaceplane (which was supposed to be secret, but is now) was launched into orbit on December 14, 2023, by a Long March 2F rocket and is currently making its third flight around the Earth.
Recently, the plane was caught in the lens of Felix Schefbenker from Austria, and the astrophotographer decided to follow the object to make a detailed (as much as possible) visualization.
Shefbenker in interview with Space.com said that he used a telescope with a 35.5 cm diameter mirror and various mechanisms that allow him to track satellites and automatically keep them in the center of the field of view. The photographer also adjusted the equipment with some input and corrections.
«I took these images by shooting video while flying overhead, and then stacking them and sharpening the best shots,» says Schefbenker.
The images show two solar panels that are not visible in any computer visualizations available on the Internet, and also estimate the size of the aircraft.
It is likely to be up to 10 meters long, making the Chinese «flying spy» larger than the American X-37B spaceplane operated by the US Space Force.
«But the information may be inaccurate, as the angle at which the plane is illuminated may hide certain features,» said Schefbenker.
Interestingly, during the third flight, the plane lowered its orbit to 350 km above the Earth. What information China received during this trip is unknown.
Earlier, experts suggested that some of the latest maneuvers of the Shenlong space unmanned aircraft indicate its possible anti-satellite application (probably to manipulate or capture satellites). In June, during its third mission, this ship fired an object that traveled several kilometers away and then returned to a distance of several hundred meters.
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