The Space Force shares a photo of Earth taken by the X-37B space plane
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Summary
A photo has been released by the US Space Force showing the secretive X-37B space plane in orbit.
Taken last year from a camera mounted on the plane, it is the first photo taken from space of the vehicle.
The X-37B is able to swiftly change its orbit using minimal fuel through experimental first-of-its-kind aerobraking manoeuvres, according to the Space Force.
The X-37B’s sixth mission, which concluded in November 2022, was its longest to date, lasting two-and-a-half years.
The vehicle is currently on its seventh mission, aiming to test new orbital regimes and technologies, as well as carrying a NASA experiment focussed on the exposure of plant seeds to radiation during long space flights.