This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/american-x37b-space-plane-lands-after-secret-mission-lasting-almost-two-years-9803212.html

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
American X-37B space plane lands after secret mission lasting almost two years American X-37B space plane lands after secret mission lasting almost two years
(about 2 hours later)
A top-secret American space plane landed in a base in California on Friday after a mystery mission lasting almost two years. A top secret unmanned space plane, that has spent nearly two years circling the Earth on a classified mission, has landed at a US Air Force base on the Southern California coast.
The X-37B robotic aircraft arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 9.30am local time. The aircraft, which resembles a miniature version of the space shuttle, safely touched down at 9.24am on Friday at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
According to the US Air Force, it had completed a classified 22-month journey that marked the third in-Earth orbit for the experimental programme. Theories have abounded as to the highly classified mission undertaken by the Orbital Test Vehicle or X-37B during its 674 days in orbit.
At 29 feet long, the winged craft resembles a miniature Nasa space shuttle, and is also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle. Among them is the suggestion that the aircraft was used to spy on China's new space labrartory.
The X-37B was carried into orbit for its latest mission aboard an unmanned Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on 11 December 2012. Several experts have theorized it carried a payload of spy gear in its cargo bay.
The X-37B, the Air Force's first unmanned re-entry spacecraft, after landing on December 3, 2010 It conducted unspecified experiments for 674 days while in orbit, marking the lengthiest mission to date for the secretive programme, which is managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. Other theories sound straight out of a James Bond film, including that the spacecraft would be able to capture the satellites of other nations.
The space plane first flew in April 2010 and returned after eight months. A second vehicle blasted off in March 2011 and stayed in orbit for 15 months. Those first two missions also ended at Vandenberg. The X-37B, the Air Force's first unmanned re-entry spacecraft, after landing on December 3, 2010
The Air Force said the orbiters, built by Boeing, “perform risk reduction, experimentation and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies,” although details of the missions, their budget and costs are secret. The US Air Force has remained tight-lipped on what the plane was doing in space, saying only that it had been conducting "on-orbit experiments."
Last week, the Air Force and Nasa finalised a lease agreement to relocate the space plane programme from California to Florida's Kennedy Space Center, where the runway once used for shuttle landings may be used for future X-37B touchdowns. The X-37B program has been an orphan of sorts, bouncing since its inception in 1999 between several federal agencies, NASA among them. It now resides under the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office.
Technicians examining the X-37B unmanned spaceplane shortly after landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif The Secure World Foundation, a non-profit group promoting the peaceful exploration of space, says secrecy surrounding the orbital activities and payloads of the X-37B are almost certainly due to the presence of national intelligence-related hardware being tested or evaluated. The plane that landed Friday is one of two built by Boeing. This is the program's third mission, and began in December 2012.
“The landing of OTV-3 marks a hallmark event for the programme,” an unnamed manager said in a statement released by the Air Force's 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg. Technicians examining the X-37B unmanned spaceplane shortly after landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif
It is preparing to launch the fourth X-37B mission from Cape Canaveral in 2015. The plane stands 9. 1/2 feet (2.9 meters) tall and is just over 29 feet (almost 9 meters) long, with a wingspan under 15 feet (4.5 meters). It weighs 11,000 pounds (4,989 kilograms) and has solar panels that unfurl to charge its batteries once in orbit.
Reuters The Air Force said it plans to launch the fourth X-37B mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida, next year.
Additional reporting by Reuters