Air Force's Secret X-37B Spacecraft Due To Return Soon

By Craig Garcia - After more than a year in orbit, the secret X-37B space plane is due to return to Earth sometime in the immediate near future. The flight was originally supposed to last 220 days in space, and currently that flight plan has been shattered with the spaceflight now nearing 430 days in space.

Looking a lot like the retired space shuttle, this robotic plane is designed to be a reusable spacecraft. While it may look similar to the shuttle, this craft is actually quite a bit smaller. The dimensions of the X-37B are 29 feet long and 15 feet wide and it comes fully equipped with a cargo bay of similar design again to the shuttle. An on board solar array deployable from this cargo bay, provided the craft with electricity during its long stay in orbit.

The plane and the project has been run by the US Air force, and the actual purpose of the mission has been of much discussion as the intended use for the plane and project has been classified. This is also true for the intended payloads of this 'mini-shuttle', as all attempts to uncover information have been stonewalled by Air force officials.

While details of the craft, and its' purpose remain sketchy at best, a few military officials have made comments about the program. During the 28th National Space Symposium, Commander of Air Force Space Command General William Shelton said "Our second X-37 test vehicle has been on orbit for 409 days now" — much longer than the 270 day baseline design specifications and although I can't talk about mission specifics, suffice it to say this mission has been a spectacular success."

 According to space.com , during a follow up meeting with General Shelton when asked about when specifically the craft would be brought back to Earth, Shelton's response was guarded and uninformative simply stating "When we're through with it … it's going great." 

So while we don't know what it was built for, what it will carry, and when its due to arrive back on earth... we do know that this unmanned robotic spacecraft has set all kinds of records and is sure to inspire new designs and directions in both manned and un-manned space flight. For more information check back here often as I will be posting more information as it becomes available.