The US military’s X-37B mini space shuttle has returned to Earth after completing a 434-day classified mission in orbit. Launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket in December 2023 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the uncrewed space plane landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, early Friday morning.
Mission Highlights & Classified Experiments
- The X-37B’s payload included a NASA experiment to study the effects of radiation on materials.
- Space Force officials remain tight-lipped about other onboard experiments.
- The mission successfully tested atmospheric drag maneuvers to adjust orbits efficiently, conserving fuel.
Lt. Col. Blaine Stewart called the mission a “significant milestone” for the U.S. Space Force’s operational capabilities, particularly in aerobraking and space domain awareness experiments.
X-37B: The Reusable Space Plane
- Built by Boeing, the X-37B resembles NASA’s retired space shuttles but is one-fourth their size at 29 feet (9 meters) long with a 15-foot (4.5-meter) wingspan.
- The autonomous vehicle can orbit at altitudes between 150 and 500 miles (240 to 800 km).
- It takes off like a rocket and lands like a plane, without requiring a human crew.
Since its first launch in 2010, the X-37B has completed multiple extended missions, with its longest lasting 908 days in orbit. The success of its latest mission marks another step forward in the US military’s advancements in space operations.
