Shenlong () is a Chinese
reusable robotic
Robotics is the interdisciplinary study and practice of the design, construction, operation, and use of robots.
Within mechanical engineering, robotics is the design and construction of the physical structures of robots, while in computer s ...
spaceplane
A spaceplane is a vehicle that can flight, fly and gliding flight, glide as an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere and function as a spacecraft in outer space. To do so, spaceplanes must incorporate features of both aircraft and spacecraft. Orbit ...
currently in development.
Only a few pictures have appeared since it was revealed in late 2007.
Test platform
The latest academic models, shown in 2000, reveal a
delta-winged spaceplane with a single
vertical stabilizer
A vertical stabilizer or tail fin is the static part of the vertical tail of an aircraft. The term is commonly applied to the assembly of both this fixed surface and one or more movable rudders hinged to it. Their role is to provide control, sta ...
, equipped with three high-expansion engines. Presuming a seating arrangement of two crew members sitting side-by-side in the cockpit, dimensions could be very roughly estimated as a wingspan of 8 m, a length of 12 m and a total mass of 12 tonnes. This is within the payload capability of the Chinese
CZ-2F
The Long March 2F ( ''Changzheng 2F''), also known as the CZ-2F, LM-2F and Shenjian (, "Divine Arrow"), is a Chinese orbital Launch vehicle, carrier rocket, part of the Long March 2, Long March 2 rocket family. Designed to launch human spacefli ...
or type A launch vehicles.
Spaceplane
Images of an aerodynamic scaled model, ready to be launched from under the fuselage of a
Xian H-6
The Xi'an H-6 ( zh, c=轰-6, p=Hōng-6) is a twin-engine jet bomber of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The H-6 is a license-built version of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 and remains the primary bomber aircraft of the People ...
bomber, were first published on 11 December 2007. Code named
Program 863-706, the Chinese name of this spacecraft was revealed as "Shenlong Spaceplane" (神龙空天飞机). These images, possibly taken in late 2005, show the vehicle's black reentry
heat shielding, indicating a reusable design, and its engine assembly.
The first sub-orbital flight of the Shenlong reportedly took place on 8 January 2011.
Earlier, images of the High-enthalpy Shock Waves Laboratory
wind tunnel
A wind tunnel is "an apparatus for producing a controlled stream of air for conducting aerodynamic experiments". The experiment is conducted in the test section of the wind tunnel and a complete tunnel configuration includes air ducting to and f ...
of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS; ) is the national academy for natural sciences and the highest consultancy for science and technology of the People's Republic of China. It is the world's largest research organization, with 106 research i ...
(CAS) State Key Laboratory of High-Temperature Gas Dynamics (LHD) were published in the Chinese media. Tests with speeds up to Mach 20 were reached in around 2001.
See also
*
Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft
*
Boeing X-37
The Boeing X-37, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), is a reusable robotic spacecraft. It is boosted into space by a launch vehicle, re-enters Earth's atmosphere, and lands as a spaceplane. The X-37 is operated by the Department of th ...
– American reusable spacecraft
References
{{Portal bar, China, Spaceflight
Proposed reusable launch systems
Spaceplanes
Reusable spacecraft
Secret space vehicles
Uncrewed spacecraft
Military vehicles introduced in the 2010s