X-37B Spaceplane Completes Record-Breaking 434-Day Mission: Unmanned Space Force Craft Lands at Vandenberg After Executing Unprecedented Maneuvers
X-37B Spaceplane Returns to Earth After 434-Day Mission: The unmanned Space Force spacecraft, OTV-7, successfully landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on March 7th, concluding a groundbreaking 434-day mission. Images show a hazmat-suited crew attending to the reusable space vehicle following its nighttime return
X-37B OTV-7 Spaceplane Successfully Lands After Record-Breaking 434-Day Mission: The U.S. Space Force's unmanned X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle-7 (OTV-7) completed its seventh mission, landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on March 7, 2025, at 2:22 a.m. EST. This groundbreaking mission involved a series of unprecedented maneuvers and marks a significant advancement in reusable space vehicle technology and long-duration space experiments
X-37B Spaceplane: Mission OTV-7 Completes 434-Day Orbital Mission. The unmanned X-37B, a reusable spacecraft orbiting 150-500 miles above Earth, returned to Vandenberg Space Force Base after its seventh mission. Developed by Boeing for NASA and later transferred to DARPA (2004), this nearly 30-foot-long vehicle—about one-fourth the size of the Space Shuttle—conducts long-term space experiments and explores reusable space vehicle technologies for national security
X-37B Spaceplane Achieves Orbital Breakthrough: First-of-its-Kind Aerobraking Maneuver. The U.S. Space Force's X-37B OTV-7 completed a groundbreaking national security mission, utilizing innovative aerobraking techniques to efficiently change orbits and conserve fuel. This revolutionary maneuver, revealed on X, marks a significant advancement in reusable space vehicle technology. The 434-day mission concluded with a successful landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base in March 2025
X-37B Spaceplane's Secret Mission: Reconnaissance Activities During Orbital Flight
X-37B Mission 7: Advancing Space Domain Awareness. During its 434-day orbital mission, the X-37B spaceplane successfully tested cutting-edge space domain awareness technologies. These experiments enhance the U.S. Space Force's understanding of the increasingly congested space environment, ensuring safe and effective space operations for all
X-37B Spaceplane faces growing orbital debris challenge: The reusable spacecraft's missions, like the recent 434-day OTV-7 flight, highlight the increasing risk posed by space junk and other satellites in Earth's orbit
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NASA
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