China's reusable experimental spacecraft returns to Earth

China's reusable experimental spacecraft returned to Earth on Friday morning after completing a 268-day orbital journey, according to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the country's northwestern desert.

The test's success has indicated that China's reusable spacecraft technologies have matured, and they will provide a convenient and affordable commuting method between outer space and Earth, the center said in a brief news release, without elaborating.

The robotic spaceship was launched by a Long March 2F carrier rocket at the Jiuquan center on Dec 14, 2023.

It was tasked with verifying reusable technologies and carrying out space science experiments, laying a technological foundation for the peaceful use of space, according to the Jiuquan center.

The concluded mission has been the third that China has made public relating to reusable experimental spacecraft.

The country's first orbital test of a trial vehicle took place in September 2020, with the craft in orbit for just under two days.

The second test started in August 2022 and the spaceplane stayed in the Earth's orbit for 276 days before landing in May 2023.

Both spacecraft in the previous two tests — it is not known whether they were of the same type — were launched by a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan center.

Currently, only China and the United States have reusable spacecrafts, which were first initiated by the US in the 1970s. The icon of this concept — the US space shuttles — operated for three decades before their retirement in 2011 due to technical and fiscal difficulties.

In recent years, advances in science and technology have reignited the space industry's enthusiasm for reusable spaceships, especially robotic spaceplanes such as the Boeing X-37B that are smaller; cheaper; and less sophisticated in design, production and operation.