After spending 434 days of orbit, a top mystery US The spaceship has come down to Earth.
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle-7 landed at the Wandenberg Space Force Base in California where it was found by a Hazmat-D-struck ground crew.
The spaceship began to return to Earth after successfully completing his “testing and experimenting objectives”.
The X-37B completed an unexpected aerobracking maneuver to change its orbit.
Aerobracking involves creating many passes in the atmosphere of the earth that causes cramps to quickly change the orbit of the craft.
By doing so, the spaceship costs the minimum fuel, which makes it temporarily invisible to other countries that can track it.
After aerobracking after the orbit of the low earth, the spaceship performed its deerbit and landing processes.
The US Space Force said: “While in the orbit, Mission 7 tested the experiments of Space Domain Awareness Technology that aims to improve the J Knowledge of the United States Space Force about the space environment.
“These technologies are important for the benefit of all the domain users of the US Space Force space and the ability to operate space operations in the fighter.”
The X-37B is a “dynamic unmanned spaceplane”, which means no crew is needed to operate it.
It is 29 feet long and has a 14 -foot wings, and is started by rockets.
The X -3LB has the ability to stay in space for a long time, and has spent more than a decade in orbit of more than six mission.
Being able to descend on the runway after each mission, the X-37B shuttle is reusable, which makes it ideal for testing.
After the Soviet Buran Shuttle and US space shuttle, and it is only the third -year -old spacecraft – though the latter has never tested the ability.
It Winged, robotic spaceship Is Since the first visit to space in 2011, the mysteryWith very limited information about its true purpose in the public domain.
It has previously been used to test the effect of solar radiation and used for testing on military surveillance NastyAccording to New York Times.
Groundbreaking aerobracking tests have been appreciated by officials whom they hope it will mark a new innovative period in space technology.
The Chief of the Space Rations Parations, General Chance ST Ltzman said: “Mission 7 broke the new field by displaying the ability to easily complete its test and experiment objectives during the X-37B orbital regime.
“Successful implementation of aerobracking maneuvers shows the commitment to the US Space Force novel’s novel scope operations in a safe and responsible way.”
X -37B Program Director, Lieutenant Colonel Blain Stewart added that the Landing X represents the “attractive new chapter” in the program.
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