China's space plane appears to have released a mystery object in orbit

A white airplane-like spacecraft floats above a blue and white planet, with a starry background behind both.

China's Shenlong space plane appears to have released a mystery object while in orbit, according to a private space surveillance firm.

Shenlong launched on its fourth mission on Feb. 6, 2026 atop a Long March 2F rocket that lifted off from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. As with previous flights, the objectives of this mission were not disclosed to the public. But according to recent observations by the commercial orbital intelligence company LeoLabs, one part of Shenlong's latest mission appears to involve releasing an unknown object.