Mysterious US space plane arrives back after long, unexplained mission
'Each successive mission advances our nation's space capabilities,' says Air Force, without explaining how
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The US's mysterious space plane has come back to Earth – and still nobody will explain what it is for.
The craft, known as X-37B, has been in the sky since 2017.
When it dropped down at Nasa's Kennedy Space Center over the weekend, it brought an end to the 780-day mission that is the longest ever carried out by the reusable vehicle.
The Air Force said the mission was a success and the craft had achieved its objectives, though not what those objectives are.
The X-37B has been on five such flights in the past.
The next is planned next year, when it will launch into space from Cape Canaveral.
"Each successive mission advances our nation's space capabilities," said Air Force secretary Barbara Barrett. But she, like everyone else involved wit the project, has not said what those capabilities are or what happens in those missions.
The X-37B looks like a space shuttle but it a quarter of the size, and is only 29 feet long.
It is launched on a rocket but then flies around above the Earth on its own, conducting work including experiments from the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments