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Space

Air Force’s X-37B Spaceplane Finishes Two-Year Trip

By Marc Selinger

Monday, May 8th, 2017

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Air Force’s X-37B Spaceplane Finishes Two-Year Trip

The Air Force's X-37B unmanned spaceplane (Photo courtesy of Air Force)

The U.S. Air Force’s X-37B reusable spaceplane returned to Earth May 7 after spending almost two years in space, its longest mission ever.The Boeing [BA]-built orbital test vehicle landed on a runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, completing the secretive program’s fourth mission, which lasted 718 days.“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,” said Lt. Col. Ron Fehlen, the Air Force’s…

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