CHINA'S SPACE PLANE FLARES:
China has quietly launched one of the most mysterious spacecraft currently in orbit: a reusable robotic spaceplane named Shenlong, or
"Divine Dragon." On Feb. 7, 2026, the vehicle began its fourth orbital mission--
although what that mission is, few people outside of China know.
This weekend, amateur astronomer Felix Schöfbänker caught the furtive spacecraft flying over his backyard observatory in Austria:
No, the Divine Dragon did not explode. Schöfbänker believes this is a bright glint of sunlight (or 'flare') reflected from the spaceplane's solar panel. "A single solar panel is deployed from the cargo bay, similar to the X-37B (the USA's competing spaceplane)," he explains.
This full-sky video shows the flare in context. The spaceplane is still intact after the flare, supporting Schöfbänker's idea that it is simply a glint from a flat surface. Furthermore, still frames show
a rectangular object intercepting the sun--again consistent with a solar panel.