China a step closer to developing space plane with test flight hailed as symbol of country’s rise as a ‘space superpower’
- Friday’s test of an experimental vessel is a step towards the development of a hypersonic vehicle that could reach any corner of the Earth within an hour
- One day the country hopes to develop a network of reusable transport vessels that would cruise at high speeds at a suborbital level
The vessel was described by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) as laying “a solid foundation for the development of China’s reusable space transport technology between Earth and space” – in other words, laying a foundation for the development of a reusable hypersonic space plane.
The CASC announced its plans to build a reusable space transport system last year. The project would involve building a series of spacecraft that take off and land like regular planes, but can reach any corner of the Earth within an hour by flying at least five times the speed of sound at a suborbital altitude.
A network of these planes would be cheaper to operate than conventional rockets because they are easier to maintain and have a shorter preparation time.
The programme aims to complete the development of the space planes by around 2045, but the first phase of the project involves the development of a rocket-powered vertical take-off landing vehicle.
On Friday the unnamed vessel – which was described as a “reusable suborbital vehicle” – was launched from the Jiuquan launch centre in Gansu province and completed its maiden flight as programmed, and landed safely in an airfield in nearby Inner Mongolia, according to state news agency Xinhua.