Por primera vez, el avi\u00f3n espacial militar realizaba experimentos para el Laboratorio de Investigaci\u00f3n Naval, la Academia de la Fuerza A\u00e9rea de EUA y otros organismos. Entre los experimentos se encontraba un sat\u00e9lite denominado FalconSat-8 que fue dise\u00f1ado y construido por cadetes de la academia USAF en asociaci\u00f3n con el Laboratorio de Investigaci\u00f3n de la Fuerza A\u00e9rea. Se despleg\u00f3 en octubre de 2021 y a\u00fan permanece en \u00f3rbita.<\/p>\n
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) \u2014 An uncrewed U.S. military space plane landed Saturday after spending a record 908 days in orbit for its sixth mission and conducting science experiments.<\/p>\n
The solar-powered vehicle, which looks like a miniature space shuttle, landed at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center. Its previous mission lasted 780 days.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the X-37B\u2019s first launch in 2010, it has shattered records and provided our nation with an unrivaled capability to rapidly test and integrate new space technologies,\u201d said Jim Chilton, a senior vice president for Boeing, its developer.<\/p>\n
For the first time, the space plane hosted a service module that carried experiments for the Naval Research Laboratory, U.S. Air Force Academy and others. The module separated from the vehicle before de-orbiting to ensure a safe landing.<\/p>\n
Among the experiments was a satellite dubbed the FalconSat-8 that was designed and built by academy cadets in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory. It was deployed in October 2021 and still remains in orbit.<\/p>\n
Another experiment evaluated the effects of long-duration space exposure on seeds.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis mission highlights the Space Force\u2019s focus on collaboration in space exploration and expanding low-cost access to space for our partners, within and outside of the Department of the Air Force,\u201d said Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations.<\/p>\n
The X-37B has now flown over 1.3 billion miles and spent a total of 3,774 days in space.<\/p>\n