OREANDA-NEWS. China has successfully launched a reusable test spacecraft. This was reported by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the main contractor for the country’s space programme.

The start took place on September 4 from the launch vehicle Changzheng 2F (Long March 2F) from the Jiuquan Launch Centre located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is reported that the spaceship will fly in the Earth’s orbit for some time, after which it will return to its surface. “The apparatus is designed to test reusable technologies during flights and to provide technological support in the peaceful exploration of space,” the message of the CASC says.

Media report that the only technical detail that is known about the launched spacecraft is its reusability. Experts suggest that the launch vehicle could be a spaceplane that China intended to launch in 2020.