Boeing-Built X-37B Space Plane Sets Record After 908 Days in Orbit

Orbiter’s sixth mission included a solar energy experiment and satellite deployment.

Jonathan Welsh

Monday, November 14, 2022 at 01:48 PM ET

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The Boeing-built X-37B set a record of 908 days in orbit [Courtesy: Boeing]

Key Takeaways:

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle completed its sixth mission, setting a new endurance record of 908 days in orbit upon its landing on November 12.
Built by Boeing, the reusable space plane conducts experiments in space for government and industrial partners and returns them to Earth for analysis.
For this mission, the X-37B utilized a service module to increase its payload capacity, demonstrating an enhanced capability for rapidly testing and integrating new space technologies.

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The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, a reusable space plane built by Boeing (NYSE: BA), landed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on November 12 after setting an endurance record of 908 days in orbit. The previous record was 780 days in orbit.

The occasion also marked the completion of the vehicle’s sixth mission. The X-37B carries experiments into space and returns them to earth for analysis for government and industrial partners. It has now flown more than 1.3 billion statute miles and spent 3,774 days in space.