United States: Air Force releases the first images of the X-37B

The United State’s Air Force has released the first images of the X-37B on the Shuttle Landing Facility runway following its landing in the early hours of Sunday after spending 780 days in space. The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Mission successfully landed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre Shuttle Landing Facility at 3:51 a.m. on October 27. According to information released by the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs (AFPA), the X-37B concluded on-orbit experiments for 780 days during its mission. 

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Broke its own record

This mission broke its own record by being in orbit for more than two years. As of October 28, the total number of days spent on-orbit for the entire test vehicle program is 2,865 days. The U.S. Secretary of the AFPA Barbara Barrett stated that “the X-37B continues to demonstrate the importance of a reusable spaceplane.” Barret added, “Each successive mission advances our nation’s space capabilities.” 

The distinctive ability to test new systems in space and return them to Earth is unique to the X-37B program. It further enables the U.S. to more efficiently and effectively develop space capabilities. This is necessary to maintain an advantage in the space domain.

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'The sky is no longer the limit for the Air Force'

The X-37B is the United States Air Force’s leading reusable and unmanned spacecraft. The spacecraft provides the performance and ease to enhance technologies in a way that allows scientists and engineers to recover experiments tested in a long-duration space environment. The United States Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein stated that after the mission broke its own endurance record the spacecraft's safe return was the result of the innovative partnership between the US Government and Industry. Goldfein added, “the sky is no longer the limit for the Air Force and, if Congress approves, the U.S. Space Force.”

Managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, the X-37B program performs risk reduction, experimentation, and the concept of operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director Randy Walden said that “this program continues to push the envelope as the world’s only reusable space vehicle. With a successful landing today, the X-37B completed its longest flight to date and successfully completed all mission objectives.” He further stated that the mission was successfully hosted by the United States Air Force Research Laboratory experiments among others, “as well as providing a ride for small satellites,” he further added.  

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Mission 4 landed at Kennedy Space Center after 718 days in orbit

The landing on October 27 marked the second time the X-37B touched down at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility. Mission 4 landed at Kennedy Space Center on May 7, 2017, after 718 days in orbit. The United States Air Force plans to launch the sixth X-37B mission from Cape Canaveral in 2020 on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket. The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center estimate this launch could happen in the window of April-to-June.

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(With Agency Inputs)