The first image taken by the secretive American spaceplane X-37B has been released.
The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) of the U.S. Department of Defense has released a photograph taken by the onboard camera of the secret spaceplane X-37B for the first time.
2025-02-24 10:01:32https://naked-science.ru/community/1033086
The image was obtained during experiments in a highly elliptical orbit. The U.S. Space Force noted that the seventh X-37B mission, which launched in December 2023, incorporated a series of aerobraking maneuvers for orbit adjustment while utilizing minimal fuel.
The X-37B spaceplane, manufactured by Boeing, is operated by the U.S. Space Force in collaboration with the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (AFRCO). Since its launch aboard SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spaceplane has been conducting experiments on the effects of radiation on plant seeds.
The X-37B has been in space for over 400 days. When it will return to Earth remains unknown.