China has launched its reusable space plane for the third time.
A Long March 2F rocket lofted China’s experimental spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Thursday (Dec. 14) to conduct space science experiments and “provide technical support for the peaceful use of space,” according to Xinhua news.
The launch comes just seven months after the spacecraft’s last mission, a much quicker follow-up compared to the first and second launches which happened 23 months apart, SpaceNews reports.
Hours prior to the secretive spacecraft’s launch, SpaceX stood down from the 7th planned liftoff of the U.S. Space Force’s own X-37B reusable space plane, and even removed the Falcon Heavy rocket containing it from the Kennedy Space Center launch pad. The mission, known as USSF-52, was scrubbed on Wednesday (Dec. 13) to “perform additional system checkouts.” Exact reasons for this delay remain unknown, and a new date has yet to be set for launch.
Hellbound and Down 