The Air Force’s secretive spy spaceplane is back on Earth after a record two-year stay in space
The X-37B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center after landing. | Image: US Air Force
The Air Force’s mysterious spy spaceplane, the X-37B, is back on Earth after spending more than two years in orbit. It’s still unknown exactly what the vehicle is for, but the Air Force admits that the spacecraft did carry a number of small satellites into space during this mission.
The X-37B landed at 3:51AM ET on Sunday, October 27th, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The touchdown brought an end to the spaceplane’s fifth journey into space and the longest flight yet for the vehicle. The X-37B launched on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on September 7th, 2017, and then went on to spend a total of 780 days in orbit. That’s a new record for the spacecraft, eclipsing the vehicle’s last stay in space, which lasted 718 days.
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