The X-37B spaceplane’s clandestine missions continue.
Following an impressive stint of 434 days in orbit, the uncrewed **Space Force** vehicle returned to **Earth** on March 7, landing at **Vandenberg Space Force Base** in California under the cover of night. The agency documented the landing, capturing images of a hazmat-suited team attending to the spacecraft.
“The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle-7 (OTV-7), the U.S. Space Force’s versatile unmanned spaceplane, successfully completed its deorbit and landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on Mar. 7, 2025, at 02:22 a.m. EST,” the **U.S. Space Force** announced on X.
### A History of Secretive Operations
This signifies the seventh mission for the X-37B, which functions at altitudes ranging from 150 to 500 miles above Earth, testing reusable **space** vehicle technologies and undertaking long-term experiments. Initially created by **Boeing** for **NASA**, the initiative was transferred to the **Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)** in 2004. At nearly 30 feet in length, the X-37B is roughly one-quarter the size of NASA’s retired **Space Shuttle**.
### An Innovative Orbital Achievement
Launched in December 2023, the spaceplane’s most recent mission incorporated a pioneering maneuver. The **Space Force** recently disclosed that the X-37B successfully executed **aerobraking**, a method that utilizes Earth’s **atmosphere** to create drag, enabling the craft to modify its orbit with minimal fuel expenditure.
In addition to aerobraking, the spaceplane was involved in reconnaissance-related activities.
“While in orbit, Mission 7 evaluated space domain awareness technology experiments designed to enhance the United States Space Force’s understanding of the space environment,” the **Space Force** noted. “These technologies are essential for the U.S. Space Force’s capacity to carry out space operations in an increasingly crowded and contested environment, benefiting all users of the domain.”
As Earth’s orbit grows ever more congested with spacecraft and **space debris**, spaceplanes such as the X-37B face an escalating challenge.