中国机密空天飞机现形低地球轨道

2024年，美国商业卫星公司Vantor（前称Maxar）在低地球轨道拍摄到了中国在轨运行的一款带翼航天器 1。该航天器具有三角翼、载荷舱门、深色热屏蔽罩和后置服务模块等特征，其设计高度模仿了美国太空军的X-37B 1。

Vantor是一家为美军和情报机构提供侦察图像的商业成像卫星公司 1。此次拍摄揭示了通过商业遥感技术对机密军事太空资产进行公开监测的能力，具体表现为利用商业地球成像卫星将望远镜指向太空中的物体 1。

Commercial satellite imagery has revealed a Chinese spaceplane operating in low-Earth orbit, demonstrating that even highly classified military assets are vulnerable to public monitoring by commercial remote sensing firms 1. The spacecraft was photographed in 2024 by Vantor, a company formerly known as Maxar that provides reconnaissance imagery to the U.S. military and intelligence agencies 1. This incident highlights the capability of commercial Earth-imaging satellites to focus their telescopes on objects in space, thereby exposing assets that nations may intend to keep secret 1.

The captured images show a winged spacecraft with distinct design features closely mimicking the X-37B operated by the United States Space Force 1. Key structural elements visible in the photographs include triangular wings, a payload bay door, a dark thermal protection shield, and a rear service module 1. These visual details confirm the existence of an operational Chinese spaceplane resembling the X-37B, challenging assumptions about the secrecy of such programs 1.