Space Force Releases Photo of Earth Taken by Experimental Space Plane

The United States Space Force has unexpectedly published a photo its top-secret X-37B space plane took while orbiting the Earth last year. The image, which the military arm shared on X-formerly-Twitter last week, shows the side of its plane with a distant Earth looming in the background. "An X-37B onboard camera, used to ensure the health and safety of the vehicle, captures an image of Earth while conducting experiments in [highly elliptical orbit] in 2024," the Space Force wrote in the caption. An X-37B onboard camera, used to ensure the health and safety of the vehicle, captures an image of Earth while conducting experiments in HEO in 2024.The X-37B executed a series of first-of-kind maneuvers, called aerobraking, to safely change its orbit using minimal fuel. pic.twitter.com/ccisgl493P — United States Space Force (@SpaceForceDoD) February 21, 2025 It's an extremely rare glimpse at the space plane, which has remained elusive. Even its primary purpose has been kept under tight wra ... Read full article.