US military’s mini space shuttle returns to Earth after secret mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The U.S. navy’s labeled mini area shuttle returned to Earth on Friday after circling the world for 434 days.

The area aircraft blasted into orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Area Middle in December 2023 on a secret mission. Launched by SpaceX, the X-37B automobile carried no folks, simply navy experiments.

Its predawn landing at Vandenberg Area Power Base in California was not introduced till hours after the actual fact. Photographs confirmed the white-and-black area aircraft parked on the runway in darkness.

It’s the seventh flight of considered one of these check autos. Area Power officers stated the mission efficiently demonstrated the flexibility to vary orbits through the use of atmospheric drag to decelerate, saving gasoline.

It’s “an thrilling new chapter within the X-37B program,” program director Lt. Col. Blaine Stewart stated in an announcement.

First launched in 2010, the Boeing-made, reusable area planes have spent so long as 908 days in area at a time. They’re 29 toes lengthy with a wingspan of just about 15 toes.

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