This is CBS I on the world with John Bachelor.

Here's John Bachelor.

Gordon Chang, that Gordon G Chang, my colleague and co-host.

We welcome Brandon Weicard, author of Winning Space,

to help us solve a mystery momentarily presented to us by accident we believe, a vision of a Chinese

rocket plane that's capable of staying in orbit for a long time and perhaps delivering a

payload back to Earth once upon a time. In the US version now at the Space Force

this is called an X-37. It sets some records of time and

space circling, circling, circling forever. The Chinese version is called Shenlong, and I welcome

Brandon to help us understand how the Chinese space

program which is non-transparent and is civilian military all the time, how the Chinese space program plans to use X-37, its version Shenlong.

Good evening to you, Brandon.

What do we think are the capabilities of this mini shuttle?

Well, good evening and thank you for having me.

The capabilities is basically this is used to haul military payloads into orbit and the Chinese version is roughly

equivalent to the American version and as I've said before it's probably a clone a knock-off of the American X-37B but it has similar

capabilities it's also designed to stay in orbit for protracted periods of time.

My concern as always with this capability is its weaponization capability or its potential for weaponization of which it is great.

I believe the X-37B as well as the Chinese version of it could be conceivably used as a kind of

kind of space bomber or definitely used as a kind of anti-satellite

attack vehicle.

Gordon, you have a question for Brandon.

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