The US military’s X-37B space drone landed on Saturday at its base in Cape Canaveral, Florida, after nearly two and a half years in orbit, Boeing said, according to AFP.
The unmanned shuttle, whose first flight took place in 2010, spent more than ten years in space during the last six missions, the manufacturer added in a statement.
It “continues to break records and provides our nation with an unprecedented opportunity to rapidly test and integrate new space technologies,” said Boeing Space Vice President Jim Chilton.
Launched in secret
The X-37B drone, launched in top secrecy, was developed for the US Air Force by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
The device has a length of nine meters, a wingspan of 4.5 meters and is powered by solar batteries.
The Pentagon has lifted the veil on its targets ahead of its latest launch in May 2020, sparking a series of science experiments.
The mission was to test the response of certain materials in space, assess the effects of ambient radiation in space on a series of seeds and convert solar radiation into radioelectric energy, the military explained. (Source Agerpres)
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.