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An unmanned US military space plane, which looks like a miniature space shuttle, has landed in Florida after spending a record 908 days in orbit.
Unmanned space plane back after 908 days
An unmanned US military space plane has landed after spending a record 908 days in orbit for its sixth mission and conducting science experiments.
The solar-powered vehicle, which looks like a miniature space shuttle, landed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center early on Saturday local time. The Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle’s previous mission lasted 780 days.
“Since the X-37B’s first launch in 2010, it has shattered records and provided our nation with an unrivaled capability to rapidly test and integrate new space technologies,” said Jim Chilton, a senior vice president for Boeing.
For the first time, the space plane hosted a service module that carried experiments for the Naval Research Laboratory, US Air Force Academy and others. The module separated from the vehicle before de-orbiting to ensure a safe landing.
