Abdelrahman
On Friday, the U.S. Space Force shared a stunning image captured last year by a camera aboard the classified X-37B spaceplane while it soared high above Earth’s surface. As highlighted by Space.com, this marked just the second opportunity to see the X-37B in orbit, with the first glimpse occurring during its launch atop a Falcon Heavy rocket in December 2023, when it was deployed from the upper stage.
The Space Force stated that this photo was taken during innovative “first-of-its-kind” aerobraking maneuvers aimed at adjusting the spacecraft’s orbit with minimal fuel usage. In an announcement made in October, the Air Force explained that this process would involve several orbits utilizing the drag created by Earth’s atmosphere. Once these maneuvers are accomplished, the X-37B will continue its array of experiments before ultimately returning to Earth.
This mission represents the seventh for the X-37B. Its previous mission, which concluded in November 2022, lasted approximately two and a half years—marking the longest operational period for the craft at 908 days. Ahead of its launch, the Space Force outlined ambitious objectives for this mission, such as exploring new orbital regions and evaluating advanced space domain awareness technologies. Additionally, there was a NASA-led experiment on board focused on analyzing the effects of radiation on plant seeds during extended space missions.
