This story has been posted via Facebook.https://futurism.com/china-plans-worlds-largest-spaceplane-for-2020-launch/
CASC is still aiming for the debuting of this spaceplane in 2020. The Spaceplane can be relaunched everyday with an expendable second stage. It must be a Chinese version of Boeing XS1 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5MjQ0Njk4MA==&mid=2650489584&idx=4&sn=da0bfad16e1297ed872af0cd7b142e19&chksm=bea9cd9b89de448d28b54c6168204eaf49fbba061c0f99a26ec41bd0116f8f91bbe782bfe8ff&mpshare=1&scene=23&srcid=1031yYHVVyOZ7X3cf4rfpBlJ#rd
Should Chinese scientists and engineers deliver on their promises, some of the technology promised by the new spaceplane will be downright futuristic. Based on various reports, the spacecraft would take off from a runway and then, higher in the atmosphere, shift to ramjet propulsion before finally using rocket motors to exit Earth's atmosphere and move into orbit around the planet.
Quote from: SmallKing on 10/31/2017 12:12 pmCASC is still aiming for the debuting of this spaceplane in 2020. The Spaceplane can be relaunched everyday with an expendable second stage. It must be a Chinese version of Boeing XS1 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5MjQ0Njk4MA==&mid=2650489584&idx=4&sn=da0bfad16e1297ed872af0cd7b142e19&chksm=bea9cd9b89de448d28b54c6168204eaf49fbba061c0f99a26ec41bd0116f8f91bbe782bfe8ff&mpshare=1&scene=23&srcid=1031yYHVVyOZ7X3cf4rfpBlJ#rdI wonder if the 2020 date does not necessarily reflect that vehicle can reach orbit at the first go - while the Chinese certainly did explore the hypersonic regime for quite some time already, I'm not sure that they can build something like the XS-1 just yet (never mind XS-1 has yet to fly either!).
Thanks Vahe231991. I didn't know about Shenlong. Any idea of what vehicle was used to launch this in 2011?