An enigmatic American space glider returns to Earth, and the Space Force captures images.

The activity of the X-37B, a spaceplane from the U.S. Space Force, continues to be an intriguing topic. This unmanned vehicle returned to Earth on March 7, after spending 434 days in space, landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California under the cover of night. The space agency released images of the return, including one showing a team in protective suits attending to the craft.

The X-37B, named Orbital Test Vehicle-7 (OTV-7), successfully completed its seventh mission, descending and landing at the mentioned space center at 2:22 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. This spaceplane, which orbits between 150 and 500 miles above the Earth's surface, aims to explore reusable spacecraft technologies and conduct long-term experiments in space. Originally designed by Boeing for NASA, the project was taken over by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in 2004. At nearly 30 feet in length, its size is a quarter that of the retired NASA space shuttles.

The X-37B's latest mission, focused on national security, launched in December 2023 and achieved a new milestone. The Space Force announced that the spaceplane performed a series of innovative maneuvers called aerobraking, allowing it to change orbits using a minimal amount of fuel. This technique involves making close passes through the Earth's atmosphere to generate drag, enabling it to adjust its trajectory without consuming too much of its limited fuel.

In addition to the maneuvers, the spaceplane engaged in surveillance-related activities. During its mission, the X-37B tested space domain awareness technologies, aiming to enhance the U.S. Space Force's understanding of the space environment. These innovations are crucial for operating in an increasingly congested and contested space, thus benefiting all users of this domain. Spaceplanes, like the X-37B, also have to contend with the growing number of spacecraft and space debris in low Earth orbit.