the point is very tough to track, much tougher than the conventional ballistic missile, for example, because it doesn't follow the same predictable arc. and, because it doesn't follow such a predictable arc, it's much harder to intercept. of course, if china has developed this technology, it would be a huge deal. the problem is the chinese government denies that it's carried out such a test. the foreign ministry spokesperson said today there had been a test, but that it was a spacecraft test, that china had been going through different versions of reusable equipment to make space travel more affordable, and that as part of this test, modules and pieces of equipment break off the main spacecraft and burn up upon reentering the earth's atmosphere before whatever�*s left splashes down into the ocean.