China launches reusable spacecraft for fourth time since 2020

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February 7, 2026 5:24 AM EST

FILE PHOTO: The launch pad for the Long March-2F rocket stands, ahead of the Shenzhou-21 spaceflight mission to China's Tiangong space station, at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China October 30, 2025. REUTERS/

BEIJING, Feb 7 (Reuters) - ⁠China successfully ⁠launched ‍into orbit a reusable experimental spacecraft aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket ‍from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in ​the country's northwest on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua ​reported.

The mission will carry out technological verification for reusable spacecraft, providing technical support for the peaceful use of space, ​Xinhua said, without disclosing how long the craft will remain in orbit.

No other details ​were given on what technologies were tested or how high ‌the craft flew in the report.

It is the fourth time the country has ​launched a reusable spacecraft since ⁠2020.

The development of reusable spacecraft is considered critical to eventually increasing the ‌frequency and lowering per-mission costs of spaceflight.

The country successfully launched its reusable experimental spacecraft for the ‌first time in September 2020, when it flew in ‌orbit for two days.

A spacecraft launched in August 2022 returned to Earth in May 2023 after 276 days ‍in orbit, while in September 2024 a spacecraft launched from the Jiuquan ⁠facility successfully returned to its designated landing site after 268 days in orbit, according to Xinhua.

(Reporting by Ellen Zhang, Laurie Chen and Ryan Woo; Editing by Toby Chopra)


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