X-37B Spaceplane Completes Third, Longest Mission
Boeing’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on October 17, completing its third and longest test mission.
A recovery team meets the Orbital Test Vehicle at Vandenberg Air Force Base. (Photo: Boeing)
A recovery team meets the Orbital Test Vehicle at Vandenberg Air Force Base. (Photo: Boeing)

Boeing’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on October 17, completing its third and longest test mission since 2010. The unmanned spaceplane under development by the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office orbited for 674 days following its launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle last December.