A close-up of China's robotic Shenlong space plane prototype tucked beneath a Chinese H-6 bomber for glide testing in December 2007. Chinese Internet
Analysts Keep Close Eye On China's Mystery Space Plane -- NBC.com/Space.com
Nature of Shenlong project, and what the robot vehicle truly represents, remain sketchy.
As the next secretive flight of the U.S. Air Force's robotic X-37B mini-shuttle draws closer, analysts are keeping a close eye on China’s own potential space plane, the Shenlong.
Last year several Chinese media outlets reported a test flight of the Shenlong space plane that apparently included its airdrop from an H-6 bomber. But the nature of the Shenlong project's testing, as well as what the robot vehicle truly represents, remains sketchy.
Several China watchers in the U.S. have taken a stab at what the Shenlong (Mandarin for "Divine Dragon) might mean, with some experts conjecturing that the craft is simply a tit-for-tat response to the unmanned X-37B space plane.
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My Comment: Makes you wonder if the U.S. Air Force unmanned X-37B space plane's secrets were leaked to the Chinese.