The mysterious unmanned spacecraft 'X-37B' returns to the ground for the first time in 780 days after completing a top secret mission


by

Jeremy Webster

The U.S. Air Force's unmanned spaceplane , the X-37B , landed at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on October 27, 2019, after completing its longest-recorded 780-day orbital flight around the globe.

X-37B breaks record, lands after 780 days in orbit> US Air Force> Article Display
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1999734/x-37b-breaks-record-lands-after-780-days-in-orbit/

The X-37B is an unmanned experimental aircraft used in a joint project between NASA, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the US Air Force, and is a spaceplane developed by Boeing. It has been announced that the X-37B is being tested for the purpose of 'operating a low-risk, reusable spacecraft,' but the specific mission content is confidential and actually. It has not been revealed what kind of experiment is being conducted.

The X-37B was launched by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket on September 7, 2017, and started its fifth mission in total.


by Senior Airman Timothy Kirchner

The number of consecutive flight days in each mission of X-37B has been steadily increasing to 225 days, 468 days, 675 days, 717 days, and in August 2019, it exceeded 718 days and set a personal longest record. Did.

The unmanned spacecraft 'X-37B' that carries out top secret missions is flying around the earth for more than 718 days, which is its longest --GIGAZINE



Then, at 3:51 (Eastern Standard Time) on October 27, 2019, the X-37B landed at the shuttle landing facility at the Kennedy Space Center. Completed his longest orbital flight mission over 2 years and 50 days.



'The X-37B continues to show the importance of a reusable spaceplane. Each previous mission of the X-37B will improve US space capabilities,' said Barbara Barrett, Secretary of the Air Force. Said.

'The safe return of the X-37B, which broke its longest record for orbiting the Earth, is the result of an innovative partnership between Earth and industry,' said David Goldfin, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. If Congress approves, there is no longer a limit for the US Air Force and the US Space Force . '

According to the US Air Force, the sixth mission of the X-37B is scheduled for 2020 and will be launched by the Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida.

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