Original Shenlong Photo: First seen on December 11, 2007, the Shenlong space vehicle is seen suspended from a Xian H-6 bomber from an unknown unit. Source: Chinese Internet
Shenlong Closeup: This out-take from the December 11 photo shows the Shenlong to be a small rocket powered unmanned space plane, as seen from the black heat shielding. Source: Chinese Internet
New Shenlong View: On December 12, 2007 another Chinese web poster offered this computer generated rendering of the Shenlong with a vertical stabilizer, using a curious “trapeze” suspension from an H-6 bomber. It cannot be confirmed that this will be the final configuration for an H-6 launching of the Shenlong. Source: Chinese Interent
Chinese Space Plane Concepts: Chinese institutes have studied many space plane concepts over the last two decades. Perhaps most interesting was the involvement of the 601 Institute, a jet fighter designer, in a two-stage small space plane concept, with a model seen at the Shenyang Aircraft Co. factory museum (bottom). Source: Chinese Internet
Recent CALT Shuttle Concept: This is a possible CALT space shuttle concept that China may develop by 2020. Source: Chinese Internet
China’s “Hermes” Space Plane: A December 16 photo shows a model of the Shenlong and a new model of the Chinese “Hermes” space plane, which is very to a wind tunnel test model the author found at the 1996 Zhuhai Airshow (bottom). Source: Chinese Internet
