Mysterious robotic spaceship did not return from orbit for 908 days
- The reusable spaceship has flown over 1.3 billion miles
- In total, it has spent over 10 years in space
- It is currently on its seventh mission and is using a Falcon Heavy rocket
Published on Mar 06, 2024 at 9:16 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat
Last updated on Mar 06, 2024 at 9:16 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Boeing has a mysterious unmanned spaceship that can stay in orbit for over two years.
The spacecraft’s mission has been heavily speculated as most of its activities are secret.
The Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) last mission saw the spaceship remain in orbit for a total of 908 days – more than two years – before finally landing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
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Since 2010, the Boeing X-37B spacecraft has flown six missions and the purpose of each mission has been kept under wraps.
The spaceship recently went on a seventh mission that was launched on 28 December 2023.
However, this time it used a Falcon Heavy rocket from Elon Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX.
The reusable spaceship has now flown over 1.3 billion miles and spent a total of 10 years in space.
According to Boeing, the spacecraft conducts experiments for government and industry partners with the ability to return them to Earth for evaluation.
Although Boeing says it is a research vessel, former US Secretary of the Air Force, Heather Wilson, explained that the Boeing X-37B can be used for secret activities.
The Boeing X-37B is generally used to host different experiments from research labs, including NASA, and deploy satellites.
The spacecraft’s sixth mission included multiple NASA experiments as well as a satellite designed and built by cadets at the US Air Force.
These experiments tested the effect of long-term space exposure on various materials and seeds.
Other than that, the Boeing X-37B also hosted a solar energy test designed by the Naval Research Lab.
The Boeing X-37B is a reusable, robotic spaceship that can operate at a speed range of up to Mach 25 on its re-entry.
Other than this, Boeing also has other aircraft that are just as awesome, such as the Dreamlifter and Sugar Volt (a hybrid electric aircraft with foldable wings).
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Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.
