Air Force's X-37B Space Plane Lands in California After Classified Mission

Posted on June 16, 2012

The Air Force's secret X-37B robotic space plane has landed at Vandenberg Air Force base after a classified mission. The plane, which has been called a mini Space Shuttle, orbited the Earth for 15 months. The plane is 29-feet long and has a wingspan of 15 feet. Here is a video of the spacecraft from Boeing:

Boeing refers to the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle as an "an unmanned space vehicle that will be used by the United States Air Force to explore reusable vehicle technologies in support of long-term space objectives." You can see a diagram of the plane here.

ABC News reports that the Air Force says it will launch the X-37B again this fall.

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SPACE SHUTTLE