solar-powered US space plane got back after over 900 days without being furnished by any crew

A US military space plane landed early Saturday after spending 908 days in orbit. It was the longest-ever continuous spaceflight by an American spacecraft, and its primary purpose was to conduct science experiments.

The solar-powered vehicle, which looks like a miniature space shuttle, landed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Its previous mission was completed in 780 days.

Since the X-37B's first launch in 2010, it has shattered records and provided our nation with an unparalleled capability to rapidly test and integrate new space technologies, said Jim Chilton, a senior vice president for Boeing.

For the first time, the space plane hosted a service module that carried experiments for the Naval Research Laboratory.

The Air Force Academy is one of the institutions. Before de-orbiting, the module separated from the vehicle to make sure a safe landing.

The FalconSat-8 was designed and built by academy cadets in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory and was among the experiments. In October of 2021, it was deployed and is still in the air.

Long-duration spaceflight is another experiment being done by NASA. This mission highlights the Space Force's emphasis on collaboration in space exploration and expanding low-cost access to space for our partners.

The X-37B has now flown over 1.3 billion miles and spent a total of 3,774 days in space. It's been so successful that NASA is planning to reuse it.

Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations said the space force mission highlights the space force's focus on collaboration in space exploration and expanding low cost access to space for our partners, within and outside of the department of the air force.

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