Tengyun Spaceplane Project

The Tengyun project is a Chinese conceptual two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) reusable aerospace transportation system. It is designed to launch both manned and unmanned spacecraft into orbit using a reusable hypersonic carrier aircraft as the first stage. The system aims to provide rapid, reliable, and cost-effective access to space for both civilian and military applications.

The Tengyun project was publicly unveiled by CASIC in 2016 as a core element of its long-term aerospace development roadmap. The program focuses on mastering complex technologies such as combined-cycle propulsion, hypersonic aerodynamics, and reusable thermal protection systems. Throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, China reportedly conducted several successful test flights of scale models and key propulsion components, including turbine-based combined-cycle engines. While officially marketed for commercial and scientific missions, the project holds immense strategic significance for the PLA by offering potential rapid-response satellite deployment, space-based reconnaissance, and hypersonic global strike capabilities.