Space Force's mysterious X-37B plane returns to Earth after 434 days in orbit
The unmanned Boeing-made aircraft landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 2:22 a.m. EST having "broke new ground" by completing a range of test and experimentation objectives, the USSF said in a statement.
The space plane was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida by SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Rocket in 2023 in what was its seventh mission. The aircraft is solar-powered, reusable and operated remotely. Space.com noted that most of its payloads remain classified.
Space Force said the tests while in a highly elliptical orbit demonstrated the aircraft's "robust maneuver capability."
The technique involves using the drag caused by the Earth's atmosphere to change its orbit more efficiently while expending minimal fuel, Sopace Force said.
While in orbit, Mission 7 tested "space domain awareness technology experiments" that aim to improve the United States Space Force's knowledge of the space environment, the agency said.
After aerobraking to a low earth orbit and completing its test and experimentation objectives, Mission 7 successfully performed its deorbit and landing procedures.
"Mission 7 broke new ground by showcasing the X-37B's ability to flexibly accomplish its test and experimentation objectives across orbital regimes." Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations at Space Force, said in a statement.
"The successful execution of the aerobraking maneuver underscores Space Force's commitment to pushing the bounds of novel space operations in a safe and responsible manner."
Space Force shared several images of the aircraft after it touched down. In one image, a group of people in hazmat-like suits approach the secretive plane.
Lt. Col. Blaine Stewart, the X-37B program director, said that the mission marked a significant milestone in the ongoing development of the agency's dynamic mission capability.
"Mission 7's operation in a new orbital regime, its novel aerobraking maneuver, and its testing of space domain awareness experiments have written an exciting new chapter in the X-37B program," Steward said.
Last month, Space Force shared a rare image of Earth while conducting experiments.
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