China will launch a reusable space plane by 2020 in an ongoing effort to dominate space.
Officials from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC) released a statement to state-run media announcing the upcoming launch.
Beijing appears to be have made significant headway on the development of a highly-secretive advanced spacecraft.
The plane — not a rocket — is expected to be much different than SpaceX and other reusable spacecraft. CASTC researcher Chen Hongbo said that unlike traditional spacecrafts, this new spacecraft “will fly into the sky like an aircraft,” Xinhua reports.
The space vehicle is expected to carry personnel and cargo into space.
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