{"id":14644,"date":"2017-05-08T00:30:34","date_gmt":"2017-05-07T16:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/x-37b-spaceplane-returns-to-earth-and-makes-autopilot-landing-in-florida\/"},"modified":"2017-05-08T00:30:34","modified_gmt":"2017-05-07T16:30:34","slug":"x-37b-spaceplane-returns-to-earth-and-makes-autopilot-landing-in-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/x-37b-spaceplane-returns-to-earth-and-makes-autopilot-landing-in-florida\/","title":{"rendered":"X-37B spaceplane returns to Earth and makes autopilot landing in Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The military\u2019s mini shuttle on the KSC runway this morning. Credit: Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Editor\u2019s note: Exact landing time now added<\/strong><\/p>\n

CAPE CANAVERAL \u2014 The Air Force\u2019s robotic X-37B mini space shuttle swooped out of obscurity today after 718 days spent in orbit on a secretive military mission, touching down at the Kennedy Space Center\u2019s orbiter runway on autopilot, the military announced on Twitter.<\/p>\n

It was the fourth flight for the unmanned test project, an enigmatic program that has used twin reusable vehicles to amass 2,086 cumulative days in space by launching like a satellite atop Atlas 5 rockets and then landing like an airplane.<\/p>\n

But today marked the first X-37B landing at the Kennedy Space Center and used the same Shuttle Landing Facility runway as NASA\u2019s manned orbiters from 1984 to 2011, signaling a long-sought programmatic evolution to consolidate both launch and landing operations at a single homeport.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe landing of OTV-4 marks another success for the X-37B program and the nation,\u201d said Lt. Col. Ron Fehlen, X-37B program manager. \u201cThis mission once again set an on-orbit endurance record and marks the vehicle\u2019s first landing in the state of Florida. We are incredibly pleased with the performance of the space vehicle and are excited about the data gathered to support the scientific and space communities. We are extremely proud of the dedication and hard work by the entire team.\u201d<\/p>\n

The stubbed-winged orbiter will be towed later today from the Florida runway to a modified NASA shuttle hangar, left over from retirement of the civilian program, for post-flight deservicing.<\/p>\n

Early this morning, the craft received the ground-issued command to return to Earth, initiating a fully autonomous sequence of events to fire its propulsion system and brake from orbit.<\/p>\n

Plunging through the atmosphere for a super-hot reentry, the spaceplane executed a series of turns to dissipate speed as it flew towards the Cape.<\/p>\n

A concussive sonic boom announced the Orbital Test Vehicle\u2019s arrival in the skies over Kennedy Space Center.<\/p>\n

With Runway 15 fast approaching the glider dropped its landing gear with dinner plate-sized wheels for a tire-smoking touchdown at 7:47 a.m. EDT (1147 GMT) while flying on a sophisticated autopilot fed with GPS navigation.<\/p>\n

Total flight duration was 717 days, 20 hours and 42 minutes from liftoff to landing.<\/p>\n