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| Mysterious US spaceplane returns to Earth | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A US plane on a top-secret, two-year mission to space has returned to Earth and landed in California. | A US plane on a top-secret, two-year mission to space has returned to Earth and landed in California. |
| The aircraft, resembling a miniature space shuttle and known as the Orbital Test Vehicle or X-37B, spent 674 days in orbit around the planet. | The aircraft, resembling a miniature space shuttle and known as the Orbital Test Vehicle or X-37B, spent 674 days in orbit around the planet. |
| It touched down at Vandenberg Air Force Base on Friday morning. | It touched down at Vandenberg Air Force Base on Friday morning. |
| The purpose of the plane remains unclear - a theory that it was taking a look at China's space lab has recently been downplayed by experts. | The purpose of the plane remains unclear - a theory that it was taking a look at China's space lab has recently been downplayed by experts. |
| Air Force officials have only told US media the aircraft performs "risk reduction, experimentation and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies". | Air Force officials have only told US media the aircraft performs "risk reduction, experimentation and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies". |
| BBC News science correspondent Jonathan Amos | BBC News science correspondent Jonathan Amos |
| The reality is that no-one really knows what this vehicle is doing up there. The only credible explanation I have seen is that it is testing technologies that could find their way on to future satellite missions. | The reality is that no-one really knows what this vehicle is doing up there. The only credible explanation I have seen is that it is testing technologies that could find their way on to future satellite missions. |
| If you consider how expensive a satellite mission is - several hundred million dollars - you'd like to be sure that any innovations are going to work straight out of the box. | If you consider how expensive a satellite mission is - several hundred million dollars - you'd like to be sure that any innovations are going to work straight out of the box. |
| By flying early prototypes on the X-37B, you can test these technologies so that when you put them on future satellite missions, you can be sure they will deliver. | By flying early prototypes on the X-37B, you can test these technologies so that when you put them on future satellite missions, you can be sure they will deliver. |
| Nasa recently agreed to give over work space formally used to service the shuttles at the Kennedy Space Center to the X-37B programme, which tells us this is a long-term project for the Air Force. Whatever it is they are doing up there, they deem it to be high value. | Nasa recently agreed to give over work space formally used to service the shuttles at the Kennedy Space Center to the X-37B programme, which tells us this is a long-term project for the Air Force. Whatever it is they are doing up there, they deem it to be high value. |
| It is the third mission for the programme, started in 1999 and currently run by the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office. | It is the third mission for the programme, started in 1999 and currently run by the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office. |
| The first plane flew in April 2010 and returned after eight months. The second launched in March 2011 and remained in space for 15 months. | The first plane flew in April 2010 and returned after eight months. The second launched in March 2011 and remained in space for 15 months. |
| The current aircraft - built by Boeing - utilises solar panels for power in orbit, measures over 29ft (9m) long, has a wingspan of nearly 15ft and a weight of 11,000lbs (4,989 kg). | The current aircraft - built by Boeing - utilises solar panels for power in orbit, measures over 29ft (9m) long, has a wingspan of nearly 15ft and a weight of 11,000lbs (4,989 kg). |
| A fourth X-37B mission is said to currently be slated for launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 2015. | A fourth X-37B mission is said to currently be slated for launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 2015. |
| Europe is to test its own automated spaceplane technology in the coming weeks, reports BBC News science correspondent Jonathan Amos. | |
| The IXV vehicle will be launched into space atop a rocket from French Guiana and then make its way back through the atmosphere to splash down in the ocean. | |
| But the European programme would be a civilian one, so military secrecy would play no part, our correspondent adds. |