The unmanned Boeing-made plane landed safely at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California

 

Space Force's mysterious X-37B plane returns to Earth after 434 days in orbit

The US Space Force's clandestine X-37B space plane landed back on Earth on Friday after 434 days in orbit performing secretive tests.

The unmanned Boeing-manufactured plane landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 2:22 a.m. EST having "broke new ground" in terms of achieving a set of test and experimentation goals, 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 plane is powered by the sun, reusable and remotely controlled. Space.com reported that the majority of its payloads are classified.

The United States Space Force’s secretive X-37B space plane completed its seventh mission on Friday. (Space Force)

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Space Force announced the tests while in a very elliptical orbit proved the plane's "robust maneuver capability."

The method is to ride the drag caused by the atmosphere of the Earth to alter its orbit more efficiently with the use of little fuel, Space Force explained.

During its time in orbit, Mission 7 flew "space domain awareness technology experiments" designed to enhance the United States Space Force's understanding of the space environment, the agency added.

After aerobraking into low earth orbit and fulfilling its test and experimentation goals, Mission 7 successfully executed its deorbit and landing operations.

The United States Space Force’s secretive X-37B space plane on the tarmac. (Space Force)

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"Mission 7 pushed new ground by highlighting the X-37B's versatility in achieving its test and experimentation goals across orbital regimes," Gen. Chance Saltzman, Space Force chief of space operations, stated in a release.

"The successful deployment of the aerobraking maneuver is testament to Space Force's dedication to expanding the boundaries of new space operations in a safe and prudent way."

Space Force posted multiple photos of the plane after landing. In one photo, several individuals in hazmat-like coveralls walk toward the secretive plane.

Lt. Col. Blaine Stewart, program director for the X-37B, reported that the mission was an important milestone in the continued evolution of the agency's dynamic mission capability.

The United States Space Force’s secretive X-37B space plane (Space Force)

"Mission 7's flight in a new orbital regime, its innovative aerobraking maneuver, and its flight testing of space domain awareness experiments have penned an exciting new chapter in the X-37B program," Steward said.

Space Force released a rare photo of Earth last month while running experiments.