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Has China Already Flown a Space Plane?

Posted by timothy on from the take-that-running-dog-imperialists dept.

garymortimer writes that according to a report published by China Aviation Journal, "China has successfully launched its own space plane prototype; the news came out shortly after the US Air Force announced the successful test of their advanced X37B space plane. This story has now been deleted. Hong Kong's Ming Pao daily on Tuesday said Shaanxi TV last Saturday quoted acting provincial governor Zhao Zhengyong as saying China has 'succeeded in the test flight of a prototype aircraft that can fly through the atmospheric layer.' Zhao was visiting a state-run aircraft corporation at Xi'an high-tech industrial development zone."

3 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Shuttle Replacement by ticklish2day · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Do these space planes have the technology to be a viable space shuttle replacement?

  2. how can believe anything outta china? by arbiter1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "A Chinese state news broadcaster has apparently been caught passing off dogfight footage from the Hollywood movie “Top Gun” as footage of China’s latest fighter jet destroying a target drone in a live fire exercise." ^ when they get busted trying that how could believe anything from their news agencies.

  3. Why was it pulled? by _merlin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I doubt they've flown it. They probably have a prototype they plan to fly, and a pre-written press release to print the moment it flies. They accidentally published it early, and had to pull it. Similar things have happened with other parts of various space programs.