Anna Forrester
Boeing‘s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle landed at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California late last week after spending 674 days in orbit and completing its third test mission for the U.S. Air Force.
Ken Torok, the company’s director of experimental systems, said Friday the reusable unmanned space plane’s latest experimental mission for the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office brings the program’s total days in orbit over three flights to 1,367.
The X-37B team aims to achieve risk reduction, perform space experimentation and develop concept of operations on reusable spacecraft technologies, Boeing said.
OTV-3 launched in December 2012 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The fourth mission will launch from the station in 2015.
