China lands its secretive space plane after 9 months in orbit
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The mysterious "experimental" space plane could be a round-trip vehicle for "peaceful" use of outer space, a Chinese state news agency said.
Chinese state news agency Xinhua hailed the 276-day flight as a "success" and an "important breakthrough."
Xinhua reported that the "experimental" spacecraft touched down at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. However, orbital tracking data and satellite imagery suggest that the landing occurred at the Lop Nur military base in the neighboring province of Xinjiang, to the west, Jones reported.
That vehicle has flown six times, with its longest mission lasting nearly three years to test new hardware and run NASA experiments.
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