Mysterious space plane spent a year orbiting Earth on secret mission [View all]
Source: Los Angeles Times
Mysterious space plane spent a year orbiting Earth on secret mission
By W.J. HENNIGAN
Los Angeles Times December 11, 2013
A year after the Air Force blasted it into orbit, an experimental space drone continues to circle the Earth.
Its mission and hush-hush payload, however, remain a mystery.
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, which looks like a miniature unmanned version of the space shuttle, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Dec. 11, 2012.
At the time of launch, Air Force officials offered few details about the mission, saying that the space plane simply provided a way to test new technologies in space, such as satellite sensors and other components.
It was set to land on a 15,000-foot airstrip at Vandenberg Air Force Base, northwest of Santa Barbara, Calif. But the Air Force has never announced an exact landing date.
Although the X-37B program is classified, some of the particulars are known.
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