Rahul Somvanshi
The U.S. Space Force has just shared something unprecedented – the first public photo taken from its X-37B space plane while in orbit. The image shows Earth from space, with part of the plane’s solar panel visible in the corner.
This robotic space plane, built by Boeing, launched its latest trip to space on December 28, 2023, and has already spent over 400 days circling Earth.
“We know that drives them nuts,” says Space Force Chief Gen. Chance Saltzman, speaking about the 1.7 million collision avoidance opportunities his team has identified to safely guide the X-37B through space.
The plane is testing new ways to save fuel. Through a technique called “aerobraking,” the X-37B uses Earth’s atmosphere to change its path, making space travel more efficient and using less fuel. This could lead to more cost-effective space missions in the future.
Boeing’s Michelle Parker explains that while the outside looks the same, the inside is much improved. “Even though it may look the same, a lot of the innards have been upgraded and then can continue to fly for a significant amount of time,” she says. These improvements help the plane stay in space longer – its last flight lasted 908 days, about two and a half years.
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The X-37B is flying higher than ever before, thanks to SpaceX’s powerful Falcon Heavy rocket. This means it can test new technologies in parts of space that were previously out of reach. One experiment is studying how plant seeds grow in space, called NASA’s Seeds-2 project, which could help understand the effects of radiation during long space flights.
The plane follows an egg-shaped path around Earth, making it harder for other countries to track. Former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson noted this capability “drives them nuts,” referring to nations trying to monitor the X-37B’s movements.
This mission marks a shift toward being more open about space activities, even as other countries like China develop similar space planes like their Shenlong. The Space Force’s decision to share this photo helps increase understanding of space operations while keeping sensitive details private.
The X-37B program, which started in 2010, continues to test new space technologies. Each mission provides valuable data about operating in space and helps engineers develop more reliable spacecraft. The program’s advances in areas like radiation testing and space domain awareness technology could benefit future space exploration and operations.
