China sends reusable space test vehicle into orbit on Long March 2F

by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 08, 2026
China has launched a reusable experimental spacecraft into orbit using a Long March 2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert of Northwest China, marking another step in the country's development of recoverable space vehicles for repeated use.

The launch took place on Saturday from the desert spaceport, sending the unnamed test vehicle into orbit for a mission focused on validating technologies needed for reusable spacecraft that can support the long term, peaceful use of outer space.

According to a brief statement from the launch center, the experimental spacecraft will carry out tests designed to verify key systems and technologies related to reusability, but officials did not provide details on the planned duration of the mission, the exact launch time, or the profile of operations in orbit and recovery.

No images of the rocket's liftoff or views inside the mission control center were released with the announcement, underscoring the program's typically low profile and the limited public disclosure that has surrounded all previous flights of this class of vehicle.

This new mission is the fourth publicly acknowledged flight in China's reusable experimental spacecraft program, which has been steadily advancing since the first orbital test of a trial vehicle in September 2020.

During that inaugural mission, the spacecraft remained in orbit for just under two days before returning to Earth, demonstrating a basic capability for launch, on orbit operations, and recovery.

The second test flight began in August 2022 and significantly extended the on orbit duration, with the spaceplane spending 276 days circling the Earth before landing in May 2023, suggesting that engineers were exploring long duration performance and systems reliability.

A third mission was launched in December 2023 and stayed in orbit for 268 days before returning in September 2024, reinforcing the trend toward extended operational lifetimes and repeated use of the technology over multiple missions.

All of the previously disclosed tests in the program have used the Long March 2F rocket launched from Jiuquan, indicating that China has standardized this human rated launcher and this specific spaceport as the primary combination for sending the reusable vehicles into orbit.

Chinese authorities have not confirmed whether the spacecraft flown on the four missions are identical, upgraded versions of a single design, or involve multiple configurations, leaving open questions about the exact evolution path of the reusable platform.

At present, only China and the United States operate reusable spacecraft, a capability first pioneered by the United States in the 1970s with the development of the space shuttle, which flew for three decades before its retirement in 2011 due to a combination of technical challenges and budget constraints.

China's latest flight adds to a growing body of operational experience with reusable orbital vehicles, supporting national ambitions to reduce the cost of access to space and to expand routine use of orbit for scientific, technological, and other peaceful purposes.