X-37B spaceplane lands in Florida

[NAC4EV]

Makes autopilot landing in Florida

CAPE CANAVERAL — The Air Force’s robotic X-37B mini space shuttle swooped out of obscurity today after 718 days spent in orbit on a secretive military mission, touching down at the Kennedy Space Center’s orbiter runway on autopilot, the military announced on Twitter.

It was the fourth flight for the unmanned test project, an enigmatic program that has used twin reusable vehicles to amass 2,086 cumulative days in space by launching like a satellite atop Atlas 5 rockets and then landing like an airplane.

It's purpose is secret. Theories have ranged from it being a space bomber, to a clandestine probe designed to 'take out' spy satellites.

 

[brycejones]

They finally collected the alien DNA to splice into our genome?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

They finally collected the alien DNA to splice into our genome?

I'm worried about that. The last time they tried that they got something with tiny hands and glowed orange.

 

[brycejones]

I'm worried about that. The last time they tried that they got something with tiny hands and glowed orange.

Lol

 

[Commodus]

The boring answer about the X-37B is that it's likely just conducting research it would rather keep secret. There was talk of exploring new propulsion methods, for example.

 

[Ajay]

Cool, but why is this in P&N and not OT?

 

[NAC4EV]

It's news, just like so many other threads in the P&N section