X-37B Wraps Up 7-month Mission Shrouded in Secrecy

摘要

After seven months in space, the U.S. Air Force's X-37B unmanned space plane on Dec. 3 returned to Earth to wrap up a debut flight shrouded in secrecy.rnThe robotic X-37B space plane made a middle of the night landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to end its maiden voyage. The space plane, also known as Orbital Test Vehicle 1, glided back to Earth over the Pacific Ocean before landing at the revamped Vandenberg runway at 1:16 a.m. PST.rn"Today's landing culminates a successful mission based on close teamwork between the 30th Space Wing, Boeing and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office," said the Air Force's X-37B program manager, Lt. Col. Troy Giese. "We are very pleased that the program completed all the on-orbit objectives for the first mission."