#China seems to be getting ready to launch its space plane in April, here are some previous information as well as my thoughts about the space plane, its function, and its future. 1/16
https://www.nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/3952

The elusive space plane is to be launched using a Long March 2F rocket, a crew-rated rocket with an impeccable history of 13 successful launches. In the past, the rocket has carried Chinese #astronauts as well as #Tiangong space labs. 2/16
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_March_2F

While the space plane looks quite similar to #Boeing's X-37B, it has to be smaller than its American counterpart. With a wingspan of 4.55 meters, X-37B is housed within the 5.4m fairing of #ULA's Atlas V 501 or the 5.2m fairing of #SpaceX Falcon 9. 3/16
[Image from Wikipedia]

While exact specifications of Long March 2F's payload fairing are not publicly available (or at least I can't find them ;)), given the diameter of Tiagong 1 and 2 which was 3.35 meters, the wingspan of the space plane may also be limited to around 335 centimeters. 4/16

This indicates that the Chinese space plane is considerably smaller than X-37B and closer in size to Boeing's X-40A. 5/16
[Image from #NASA via Wikipedia]

As to the purpose of the plane, the most likely scenario is that it would be used as a test bed for new technologies. The secrecy around the program also suggests that it is of military interest. 6/16
[The image is just for decoration]

This coincides with the claim in a 2017 article by SCMP that Chinese military is interested in space planes. 7/16 https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2097368/chinas-new-spaceplane-may-be-nosing-ahead-technology-race

It should be noted that this is not the first time we're hearing of this space plane, in fact the first news about its tests and development were published in the early 2010s. 8/16

Apparently, after a decade (or possibly more) of development, the plane is ready for its first orbital flight. 9/16 https://thediplomat.com/2012/05/chinas-divine-space-plane/

While the choice of Long March 2F might be solely related to basic mission requirements (orbit, weight, etc.) but choosing a highly-reliable rocket with multiple redundancies might also indicate that the payload is highly-valued by the Chinese. 10/16 https://twitter.com/Smit_Gaski/status/1235143683827212288?s=20

Probably, they just don't want to take risks by using a less reliable carrier rocket. 11/16

In addition, choosing a crew-rated rocket may also indicate that the craft is going to serve as a test platform for a future crewed space plane. This can be similar to Boeing's X-37C proposal. 12/16

Additionally, the plane may ferry cargo to and from China's future modular space station. Needless to say, the payload would be quite limited and the plane can effectively be used only to carry small experimental articles. 13/16

Meanwhile, there have been reports of plans for an aircraft-launched Chinese space plane. Have the Chinese given up the idea in favor of a more proven rocket-launched vehicle? 14/16

We should remember that the #USSR did the same with Mikoyan's Spiral aircraft-launched space plane proposal. However, technological developments in the 21st century may spell a different fate for the Chinese proposal. 15/16
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/problem-china-wants-its-very-own-x-37b-space-plane-73471
[Image from Wikipedia]

Finally, even if the Chinese military and government give up on the idea of aircraft-launched space planes, private firms may not let the dream die. Just look at this concept from #Landspace. 16/16 https://twitter.com/NamusLake/status/1236986939846385669