Space Force’s X-37B Spaceplane Completes 434-Day Mission with Advanced Orbital Maneuvers

The unmanned, reusable spacecraft landed in California after testing fuel-saving aerobraking techniques and space domain awareness technologies.

The X-37B spaceplane returned to Earth on March 7, 2025, landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base after a 434-day mission in orbit.
This was the seventh mission for the Boeing-built, solar-powered spacecraft, marking its first launch via SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket in December 2023.
The mission demonstrated a novel aerobraking maneuver, using atmospheric drag to change orbits efficiently while conserving fuel, a key advancement for future space operations.
Space Force conducted experiments to improve space domain awareness, enhancing understanding of the increasingly crowded and contested orbital environment.
The reusable X-37B program continues to test technologies critical to national security and long-term space exploration, with no immediate announcement of the next mission.