China's top-secret spaceplane can't hide in low-Earth orbit

A commercial satellite owned by Vantor (also known as Maxar) took a high-resolution photo of a Chinese spaceplane in orbit, showing its design is similar to the US military's X-37B spaceplane. The spaceplane has delta wings, a payload bay, a dark heat shield, and solar arrays. This is not the first time a Chinese spaceplane has been spotted, but it is the first time a high-resolution image has been released. The US Space Force has two X-37Bs in rotation, with one mission lasting 2.5 years. China has launched four spaceplane missions since 2020, with the fourth one still in orbit after launching in February. The Defense Intelligence Agency has released an assessment of threats to the US in space, but it does not reveal what the Chinese spaceplane does in orbit.