The US government's top-secret X-37B space plane returned to Earth after a 434-day mission in orbit, a statement by the US Space Force (USSF) has revealed. The 29-foot-long X-37B landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California last Friday (Mar 7) at 2:22 am local time after completing its seventh mission.
"The US Space Force landed the X-37B at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, to exercise its rapid ability to launch and recover its systems across multiple sites. X-37B's Mission 7 was the first launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket to a Highly Elliptical Orbit," read the USSF statement.
Though the details about the unmanned spacecraft's more-than-a-year-long mission have largely been kept under wraps, Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman reiterated that the aircraft had achieved successful execution of the aerobraking manoeuvre.
"Mission 7 broke new ground by showcasing the X-37B's ability to flexibly accomplish its test and experimentation objectives across orbital regimes," said General Saltzman.
Aerobraking involves the spacecraft making multiple passes through Earth's atmosphere, using the atmospheric drag to alter its orbit while conserving fuel. Notably, after aerobraking to a Low Earth Orbit and completing its test and experimentation objectives, Mission 7 successfully performed its deorbit and landing procedures.
First picture released
It was last month that the USSF released the first image of the X-37B while in orbit. The photo was taken by a camera onboard the space plane while orbiting high above the African continent.
"An X-37B onboard camera, used to ensure the health and safety of the vehicle, captures an image of Earth while conducting experiments in HEO in 2024," read the post by USSF.
"The X-37B executed a series of first-of-kind maneuvers, called aerobraking, to safely change its orbit using minimal fuel."
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What is X-37B?
Operated by the Space Force's Rapid Capabilities Office, the 29-foot-long X-37B with a 15-foot wingspan is designed to test advanced technologies, including propulsion systems, thermal protection, and autonomous reentry capabilities.
The X-37B program began under NASA in 1999 before being transferred to the Department of Defense. Since then, the spacecraft has managed to complete seven missions, with each successive flight extending its time in orbit. Cumulatively, it has logged over 4,000 days in space across all missions.
