China’s ‘Divine Dragon’ space plane lays ‘eggs’ in Earth orbit

[Ryan Robertson]

CHINA’S SECRETIVE SPACE PLANE, CALLED SHENLONG OR “DIVINE DRAGON,” IS APPARENTLY LAYING “EGGS” INTO EARTH ORBIT. I’M CALLING THEM EGGS, THE ASTRONOMER WHO ORIGINALLY TRACKED THE OBJECTS CALLED THEM “MYSTERIOUS WINGMEN,” BUT IN TRUTH IT’S NOT REALLY CLEAR WHAT THEY ARE.

CHINA LAUNCHED THE SHENLONG ON DECEMBER 14, MARKING THE SPACE PLANE’S THIRD VOYAGE INTO ORBIT. THAT’S WHEN AMATEUR ASTRONOMER AND SATELLITE TRACKER SCOTT TILLEY NOTICED THE SHENLONG DEPLOYED SIX SMALLER DEVICES, DUBBED OBJECTS A, B, C, D, E AND F. THE OBJECTS ARE IN DIFFERENT ORBITS AROUND THE EARTH AND ARE TRANSMITTING SIGNALS.

ONE OF THE SIGNALS, FROM OBJECT A, IS SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS RADIO FREQUENCIES USED ON AN EARLIER SHENLONG MISSION. BUT AT LEAST TWO OBJECTS — D AND E — ARE EMITTING WHAT TILLEY CALLED “IDLE PLACEHOLDER” SIGNALS. TILLEY SAID THOSE SIGNALS ARE VERY INTERMITTENT AND TOOK DAYS OF OBSERVATIONS FROM ALL OVER THE EARTH TO CONFIRM.

WHILE THE SHENLONG PROGRAM IS SHROUDED IN SECRECY, IT COMES AS NO SURPRISE IT CAN CARRY AND DEPLOY PAYLOADS. UNLESS CHINA SUDDENLY OPENS UP AND SPILLS THE TEA, THOUGH, DETERMINING EXACTLY WHAT THOSE PAYLOADS ARE WILL TAKE MORE STUDY.

IN THE DAYS AHEAD, OBJECTS A, D AND E WILL MOVE CLOSER TO EACH OTHER ALONG THEIR ORBITAL PATHS. TILLEY SAYS ONCE THEY’RE CLOSE ENOUGH, HE AND OTHER ASTRONOMERS WILL BE LOOKING FOR ANY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE OBJECTS, WHICH COULD SHED FURTHER LIGHT ON THEIR USE.

CHINA’S SPACE AMBITIONS, LIKE ITS MILITARY AND ECONOMIC ONES, ARE EXPANDING RAPIDLY. THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA WANTS TO UNSEAT THE UNITED STATES AS EARTH’S LEADING SPACE FARING NATION. THE PRC IS BUILDING THEIR OWN SPACE STATION, PLANNING MANNED MISSIONS TO THE MOON LIKE THE U.S., EVEN THE SHENLONG SPACE PLANE IS MODELED AFTER THE X-37B DEVELOPED BY THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE.

WHILE TILLEY AND A TEAM OF OTHER AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS KEEP AN EYE ON CHINA’S SPACE PLANE FROM EARTH, THE PENTAGON IS ADVANCING PLANS TO KEEP AN EYE ON CHINA’S EARTH-BOUND ACTIVITIES FROM SPACE.

DEFENSE CONTRACTOR L3 HARRIS JUST SECURED THE FUNDING TO MOVE AHEAD BUILDING A NETWORK OF 16 SATELLITES WHICH WILL TRACK HYPERSONIC MISSILE LAUNCHES FROM CHINA.