No landing date yet for Air Force's mystery craft

A secretive unmanned space plane is staying in orbit a little longer.

The experimental Air Force craft has been circling Earth for about nine months. The X-37B orbital test vehicle was due to land in California this week, but the Air Force said Tuesday that the mission will be extended. A landing date has not been set.

The plane resembles a mini and is the second to fly in space. The first one landed itself last December at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California after more than seven months in orbit.

The Air Force has said the second mission was to further test the craft, but the ultimate purpose has largely remained a mystery.

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Citation: No landing date yet for Air Force's mystery craft (2011, November 29) retrieved 24 April 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2011-11-date-air-mystery-craft.html
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