China’s Hidden Dragon Space Plane Drops Another Mysterious Payload

China’s Shenlong space plane has deployed a ninth unidentified object into low Earth orbit, detected on June 22 and later confirmed by observers (including Jonathan McDowell) to have originated from Shenlong and been tracked by the U.S. Space Force. While analysts speculate it could be a cubesat or a test payload for rendezvous maneuvers, its exact purpose remains unknown, reflecting ongoing secrecy around the program. Shenlong has spent hundreds of days in orbit across multiple missions, and observers contrast its secrecy with the U.S. X-37B’s comparatively more transparent disclosures.