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The record-shattering mission of the U.S. Air Force's robotic X-37B space plane is finally over.
After circling Earth for an unprecedented 718 days, the X-37B touched down Sunday (May 7)at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida — the first landing at the SLF since the final space shuttle mission came back to Earth in July 2011.
"Today marks an incredibly exciting day for the 45th Space Wing as we continue to break barriers," Air Force Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, the 45th SW commander, said in a statement.
"Our team has been preparing for this event for several years, and I am extremely proud to see our hard work and dedication culminate in today's safe and successful landing of the X-37B." [The Mysterious X-37B Space Plane: 6 Surprising Facts]The Air Force is known to possess two X-37B space plane vehicles, both of which were built by Boeing. The 29-foot-long (8.8 meters) X-37B looks like NASA's now-retired space shuttle orbiter, only much smaller; indeed, two X-37Bs could fit inside a space shuttle's cavernous payload bay.
The X-37B launches vertically and comes back to Earth horizontally for a runway landing, as the space shuttle did.
Crew in Hazmat suits out on the runway after touchdown
Most of the X-37B's payloads and activities are classified, leading to some speculation that the space plane could be a weapon of some sort, perhaps a disabler of enemy satellites. But Air Force officials have always strongly refuted that notion, stressing that the vehicle is simply testing technologies on orbit. [The X-37B's Fourth Mystery Mission in Photos]
Outside experts generally agree with the Air Force's claims, saying it's unlikely that the X-37B is doing anything aggressive or nefarious on orbit. Some observers have suggested that, in addition to the roles cited by Annicelli, the vehicle may be testing sensors for the National Reconnaissance Office, which operates the United States' fleet of spy satellites.
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Space.com
http://www.space.com/36420-x-37b-space-plane-secret-mission-florida-landing.html#ooid=c0a3QzYjE6EoVr2k3h0OTjvh-VxpnfFy
Air Force's X-37B Space Plane Lands in Florida After Record-Breaking Secret Mission
After circling Earth for an unprecedented 718 days, the X-37B touched down Sunday (May 7)at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida — the first landing at the SLF since the final space shuttle mission came back to Earth in July 2011.
"Today marks an incredibly exciting day for the 45th Space Wing as we continue to break barriers," Air Force Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, the 45th SW commander, said in a statement.
"Our team has been preparing for this event for several years, and I am extremely proud to see our hard work and dedication culminate in today's safe and successful landing of the X-37B." [The Mysterious X-37B Space Plane: 6 Surprising Facts]The Air Force is known to possess two X-37B space plane vehicles, both of which were built by Boeing. The 29-foot-long (8.8 meters) X-37B looks like NASA's now-retired space shuttle orbiter, only much smaller; indeed, two X-37Bs could fit inside a space shuttle's cavernous payload bay.
The X-37B launches vertically and comes back to Earth horizontally for a runway landing, as the space shuttle did.
The U.S. Air Force's X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle mission 4 (OTV-4) is seen after landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on May 7, 2017. The unpiloted space plane spent a record 718 days in space during its classified mission.
Credit: U.S. Air ForceCrew in Hazmat suits out on the runway after touchdown
Most of the X-37B's payloads and activities are classified, leading to some speculation that the space plane could be a weapon of some sort, perhaps a disabler of enemy satellites. But Air Force officials have always strongly refuted that notion, stressing that the vehicle is simply testing technologies on orbit. [The X-37B's Fourth Mystery Mission in Photos]
Outside experts generally agree with the Air Force's claims, saying it's unlikely that the X-37B is doing anything aggressive or nefarious on orbit. Some observers have suggested that, in addition to the roles cited by Annicelli, the vehicle may be testing sensors for the National Reconnaissance Office, which operates the United States' fleet of spy satellites.
Read more >>
Space.com
http://www.space.com/36420-x-37b-space-plane-secret-mission-florida-landing.html#ooid=c0a3QzYjE6EoVr2k3h0OTjvh-VxpnfFy
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