The Air Force brought their secret unmanned X-37B spacecraft in for a landing this morning at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After completing 718 days in orbit the experimental X-37B landed safely at the historic Space Shuttle Landing Facility on Cape Canaveral. Many local residents reported hearing the sonic boom as the spacecraft arrived.
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The #X37B #OTV4 is the newest and most advanced re-entry spacecraft. Find out more about today’s landing here: https://t.co/GUGgOMQiYg pic.twitter.com/HfHHVnWhYc
— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) May 7, 2017
The #AirForce #X37B #OTV4 is back after more than 700 days in #Space. @NASAKennedy pic.twitter.com/02WdzMSDJe
— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) May 7, 2017
The Air Force tweeted shortly after 8 a.m. that the reusable X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle had landed safely, completing its fourth classified mission.
OTV-4 launched from Cape Canaveral on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on May 20, 2015.
Air Force officials have called the X-37B program, which is managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, “the newest and most advanced re-entry spacecraft.” – News 6 Orlando
There are two Air Force ‘mini shuttles’ that have been flying secret missions into space since 2010 performing a wide variety of experiments aimed at advancing space technologies.
Featured image of the Air Force X-37B spacecraft after landing in Florida today by NASA
