China has successfully completed a test of a reusable spacecraft after it returned to Earth on Monday morning, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) said.
The uncrewed spacecraft returned to the Jiuquan launch center in northwest China on Monday as scheduled.
"The test was successful, showing China's breakthrough in the field of research of reusable spacecraft technologies," CASC said in a statement.
The test's success provides technological support for the peaceful use of space, according to the Chinese authorities.
Late in 2022, the spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan launch center and spent 276 days in the orbit.
The spacecraft released an object into orbit, US Space Force tracking data revealed late last year. The small satellite operated in very close proximity to the spaceplane, space-focused media reported.
The CASC, meanwhile, is developing new, super heavy-lift reusable launch vehicles which will enable the country to attempt to land astronauts on the moon and eventually hopes to introduce a fully-reusable rocket for conducting large scale space infrastructure missions.
"I personally think that, as long as technological research for crewed moon landings continues, as long as the country is determined, a Chinese crewed moon landing is entirely possible by 2030," senior Chinese lunar program designer and engineer Ye Peijian told state television in an interview.
A space white paper published in January 2022 stated that China will "continue studies and research on the plan for a human lunar landing… and research key technologies to lay a foundation for exploring and developing cislunar space."