The US Air-Force’s ultra-secret X-37B has finally returned to earth after a mission of unknown purposes that lasted over two years. As Fox News reports:
Mission 5 launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster on Sept. 7, 2017.
The solar-powered spaceplane was designed to spend 270 days in orbit, according to the Air Force. Space.com noted that most of its payloads remain classified.
The Air Force’s secretive X-37B space plane just autonomously returned from orbit after a record-breaking mission. For the last 780 days, it’s been running classified experiments. https://t.co/UiTNEmvn4c
— WIRED (@WIRED) October 29, 2019
“The X-37B continues to demonstrate the importance of a reusable spaceplane,” said Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett, in a statement. “Each successive mission advances our nation’s space capabilities.”
The Air Force is planning to launch a sixth X-37B from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in 2020.
It should be noted that the Space plane in question is not part of NASA’s inventory but is rather a top-secret project run exclusively by the US air force. What exactly it was doing for the two years it was in space is currently unknown.
If it’s so top secret, why is it being reported on in the news?? It reminds me of the F-22, the Stealth Fighter, and the B-2 – Revell was putting out models of them before the Brass even admitted they existed!
Things are labeled “top secret” for a reason.
Hope it was mapping liberals.
It was likely doing strategic reconnaissance related projects.