A mysterious object was released into the Earth's orbit by China’s top-secret spaceplane nearly 372 miles above the surface.
The situation is being monitored by the US Space Force, however, the reason why the mysterious object was ejected on May 24 remains unknown.
The mysterious object was first spotted by a Harvard astrophysicist who speculated that it could be a subsatellite deployment or perhaps a piece of hardware which was released by the spaceplane before its mission ended and it deorbited.
This action of the Chinese spaceplane has sent strong signals to the United States.
US Space Force tracks down mysterious objectCurrently, the mysterious object is being tracked down by the United States Space Force.
A mysterious object was released into the Earth's orbit by China’s top-secret spaceplane nearly 372 miles above the surface.
The situation is being monitored by the US Space Force, however, the reason why the mysterious object was ejected on May 24 remains unknown.
The mysterious object was first spotted by a Harvard astrophysicist who speculated that it could be a subsatellite deployment or perhaps a piece of hardware which was released by the spaceplane before its mission ended and it deorbited.
Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics' Jonathan McDowell, after first spotting the object, wrote on X, "This object could be a subsatellite deployment, or it could be a piece of hardware ejected prior to end of the mission and deorbit (the spaceplane's first flight did something similar)."
The spacecraft, which was named Shenlong after a Chinese mythological spirit dragon, was launched last December and since then, it has released several objects into orbit. This action of the Chinese spaceplane has sent strong signals to the United States.
China has remained secretive regarding the spaceplane which it said has the job of providing "technical support for the peaceful use of space."
“After operating in orbit for a period of time, the experimental spacecraft will return to the designated landing site in China,” stated China’s state media outlet Xinhuanet.
“During this period, it will carry out reusable technology verification and space science experiments as planned, providing technical support for the peaceful use of space," it added.
China launched the craft one day after the United States scrubbed the flight of its ‘spy’ plane. The US Space Force chief said that this was 'no coincidence.'
"It's probably no coincidence that they're trying to match us in timing and sequence of this," said General Chance Saltzman, Space Force's Chief of Space Operations.
US Space Force tracks down mysterious object
Currently, the mysterious object is being tracked down by the United States Space Force.
Meanwhile, amateur astronomer Scott Tilley, who was tracking the spaceplane when the six objects were ejected in December and signals were emitted over North America, said the signals most probably targeted a ground station or boat which was close to British Columbia, Canada.
Watch: China hosts Arab leaders | North Korea drops trash balloons on the South "When the spaceplane passes over me, it only emits on a certain trajectory of pass that appears to favor a location south to southwest of me," Tilley said.
"I.e., on higher elevation passes over me, there are no signals, but on ocean-hugging passes to my southwest, all of my observations of the object have occurred," he added.
Tilley joined a group in Switzerland that specialises in optical-band space surveillance and the collaboration has been able to monitor the plane since it launched on December 15.
(With inputs from agencies)
