After almost 225 days mini space shuttle, X-37B - first unmanned space plane; has landed last night at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Lt Col Troy Giese, X-37B program manager. Stated just after landing, “We are very pleased that the program completed all the on-orbit objectives for the first mission.”
But the mission specifications were never revealed to the public by the USAF authorities. The Spacecraft, also known as ‘Orbital Test Vehicle’, is built by Boeing. According to Air Force resources the main purpose of the flight was just to test the X-37B and all the on-orbit objectives have been accomplished.
The X-37B’s mission is to “demonstrate a reliable, reusable, unmanned space test platform for the United States Air Force,” according to a fact sheet put out by the military. “Objectives of the OTV program include space experimentation, risk reduction and concept of operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies.”
The USAF is planning to launch another X-37B in Spring 2011 aboard an Atlas V booster.
