Phys.org
April 28, 2014

 An artists’ conception of the X-37B in Earth orbit. Credit: U.S. Air Force.
An artists’ conception of the X-37B in Earth orbit. Credit: U.S. Air Force.
A robotic space plane is speeding in low Earth orbit at this very moment. Some say it’s a weapon; others, a data-gathering mission. There’s one fact most agree on as the plane hits 500 days in space: Its real purpose is a mystery.

The Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Space Vehicle, constructed in California, is one-fourth the size of the Endeavour Space Shuttle.

The Air Force craft, purely a test vehicle that will never reach production, in part aims to explore reusable space-vehicle technologies. That means the robotic vehicle can land, but no one will say when.

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