Mysterious Space Plane Orbiting Around the Earth Captured on Camera, Its Mission Remains Secretive

There are multiple things that authorities and organizations keep under wraps from civilians for a variety of reasons. However, that doesn't stop the public from being inquisitive. For a long time, people have been fascinated by a particular space plane in Earth's orbit, stated Space. A recent photo of this aircraft has reignited people's curiosity.

The ship that has piqued everyone's interest is the X-37B space plane. The plane was previously operated by the U.S. Air Force and later by the U.S. Space Force. To this date, no detailed statement has been provided about the objective of this ship. Space Force in the past claimed that it is the "most advanced re-entry spacecraft that performs risk reduction, experimentation and concept of operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies."

X-37B has been orbiting in space for well over a year. The ship began its seventh mission on December 28, 2023. The spacecraft was recently captured on camera by the Space Force, and the photo was released to the public. The image captured X-37B moving high above the African continent. The photo also showcases a solar panel attached to the aircraft, along with an open payload bay on the top edge. 

The picture gave experts some idea about the current elevation of this spacecraft. The information was important because all the past X-37B missions were located in low Earth orbits. Before this photo, civilians had gotten to see X-37B just once, while it was getting ready for its seventh launch. In that footage, the ship's service module was getting attached while deployed from Falcon Heavy's upper stage. At the time of its release, the U.S. Space Force claimed that the spacecraft would showcase how reusable spaceplanes function in new orbital regimes, implement future space domain awareness technologies, and examine the impact of radiation on materials provided by NASA. However, its exact purpose during its long missions was kept under wraps. 

X-37B hit headlines when Space Force and Boeing, the organization that built the spacecraft, made an announcement. Their statement claimed that the ship would be used to examine a new "aerobraking maneuver." This proposed method would use friction generated by Earth's atmosphere to alter orbit. The recent photo was captured while X-37B was involved in certain experiments. It is not confirmed if the experiments were associated with the "aerobraking maneuver."

Space Force also released a statement alongside the photo. "An X-37B onboard camera, used to ensure the health and safety of the vehicle, captures an image of Earth while conducting experiments in a highly elliptical orbit in 2024," the Space Force's statement reads. "As part of the X-37B's seventh mission, the vehicle executed a series of first-of-its-kind maneuvers, called aerobraking, to safely change its orbit using minimal fuel." Afficiandos believe the spacecraft is primarily used to test new space technologies. The assertions align with what is known about its past actions. X-37B has been applied to analyze solar power beaming from space, the potential of autonomous flights, and thermal protection systems.