Danger Room writes Inside the Secret Space Plane Landing with some photos of the 29 foot long craft.
"When the Air Force launched its secret, robotic space plane this spring, military officials confessed that they weren't exactly sure when it was coming back. More than seven months later, the X-37B finally landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where it was met with Air Force personnel in SCAPE (self-contained atmospheric protective ensemble) suits. They gave the robo-orbiter an initial once-over -- and made sure the area was safe for humans, too. Here are the pictures (and infrared video) of the landing, courtesy of U.S. Air Force Space Command.
Better-informed observers believe the X-37B could be used by the Pentagon as a cheap replacement for the all-but-defunct Space Shuttle -- a way to get spy sensors into orbit in a hurry. And the U.S. military's use of space place is only getting started. As David Axe noted last week, the Air Force has commissioned a second X-37, to enter service next spring."
(What do I tag this with? It's not really science or astronomy. It's military but politics. It's not toys...)
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