China Secretly Releases Mysterious Object in Space, Spotted by US
China’s spacecraft, Shenlong, has reportedly released a mysterious object while in orbit. The discovery was revealed by LeoLabs, a private US-based space activity monitoring company, based on recent observations.
Shenlong is currently conducting its fourth mission since being launched on 6 February 2026, using a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China’s Gobi Desert. As with previous missions, the Chinese government has not disclosed the purpose of this flight to the public.
However, according to LeoLabs’ observations, one of the activities in the latest Shenlong mission involves the release of an object whose identity and function are yet to be determined. “At 02:30 UTC on 22 June 2026, LeoLabs detected an unknown object around China’s reusable Shenlong spacecraft,” LeoLabs wrote via its X account, as cited by Space.
“The object does not match any other object in our catalogue. It was first detected by our Tracker radar in New Zealand,” the company continued.
After conducting additional observations through its global monitoring network and analysis using LeoLabs Delta, the company stated that the object is believed to have originated from Shenlong. “After additional observations across our global network and analysis via LeoLabs Delta, we have independently catalogued this object and assessed with high confidence that it was released from the Chinese spacecraft,” LeoLabs wrote.
This activity, they added, is consistent with the release of sub-satellites performed by the spacecraft during previous missions. Space activity observer Jonathan McDowell also noted via X that the object has now been entered into the US Space Force catalogue.
Shenlong, or ‘Divine Dragon’, is a reusable spacecraft that is launched via rocket but lands on a runway similar to an aircraft. Its design is believed to be similar to the United States’ X-37B or NASA’s space shuttle. Nevertheless, the technical specifications of Shenlong remain a mystery due to the highly secretive nature of China’s space programme. To date, very few photos of Shenlong are available, most of which originate from ground-based telescope observations.
This is not the first time Shenlong is suspected of releasing objects while in orbit. In June 2024, observers suspected the spacecraft released a sub-satellite or discarded unnecessary components towards the end of its mission. Six months prior to that, Shenlong was suspected of releasing six objects simultaneously, though subsequent investigations concluded these were merely launch debris. Additionally, observers have found indications of solar panels extending from the Shenlong body based on telescope imagery analysis.