The US Space Force's secret X-37B spaceplane landed on Earth after spending 434 days in orbit on Friday conducting mysterious tests.
The unmanned Boeing aircraft landed at Van Denburg Space Force Base in California and “opened new ground” by completing various test and experimental objectives at 2:22am, USSF said.
The spaceplane was launched in 2023 by SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for its seventh mission. The aircraft is solar-powered, reusable and operates remotely. Space.com said most of the payloads remain classified.
The US Space Force Secret X-37B Space Plane completed its seventh mission on Friday. (Space Force)
The Air Force's Mysterious X-37B Space Plane returns to Earth in a record 780-day orbit
Space Force said the test is a test while demonstrating the “robust operating capabilities” of the aircraft on a very elliptical orbit.
The technology involves using drag forces caused by the Earth's atmosphere to change orbit more efficiently while consuming minimal fuel, said Sopace Force.
In orbit, Mission 7 tested a “space domain awareness technology experiment” aimed at improving US Space Force knowledge about the space environment, the agency said.
After invading low Earth orbit and completing the test and experimental objectives, Mission 7 successfully performed the orbital and landing procedures.
US Space Force Secret X-37B Space Plane on the Tarmac. (Space Force)
Secret US Space Power Plane Shares a rare photo of Earth from orbit
“Mission 7 broke new ground by introducing the X-37B's ability to flexibly achieve test and experimental goals across the orbital regime,” General Chance Saltzman, Space Force's Head of Space Operations, said in a statement.
“The successful implementation of aero brake operations underscores Space Force's commitment to pushing up the boundaries of new space operations in a safe and responsible way.”
Space Force shared several images after the aircraft landed. In one image, a group of people wearing suits like Hazmat approaches a secret plane.
X-37B Program Director Lt. Col. Blaine Stewart said the mission marked a significant milestone in the ongoing development of the agency's dynamic mission capabilities.
US Space Force Secret X-37B Space Plane (Space Force)
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“The operation of Mission 7 in a new orbital regime, its new aerobraking operations, and testing of space domain recognition experiments, is writing exciting new chapters in the X-37B program,” Steward said.
Last month, Space Force shared a rare image of the Earth while conducting an experiment.
