US military's mini space shuttle returns to Earth after orbiting for 434 days on a secret mission

The U.S. military's classified mini abstraction shuttle has returned to Earth aft circling the satellite for 434 days

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The U.S. military's classified mini abstraction shuttle returned to Earth connected Friday aft circling the satellite for 434 days.

The space plane blasted into orbit from NASA's Kennedy Space Center successful December 2023 connected a concealed mission. Launched by SpaceX, the X-37B vehicle carried nary people, conscionable subject experiments.

Its predawn touchdown astatine Vandenberg Space Force Base successful California was not announced until hours aft the fact. Photos showed the white-and-black abstraction level parked connected the runway successful darkness.

It’s the seventh formation of 1 of these trial vehicles. Space Force officials said the ngo successfully demonstrated the quality to alteration orbits by utilizing atmospheric resistance to dilatory down, redeeming fuel.

It's "an breathtaking caller section successful the X-37B program," programme manager Lt. Col. Blaine Stewart said successful a statement.

First launched successful 2010, the Boeing-made, reusable abstraction planes person spent arsenic agelong arsenic 908 days successful abstraction astatine a time. They're 29 feet (9 meters) agelong with a wingspan of astir 15 feet (4.5 meters).

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