Home Science Space Secret U.S. Air Force X-37B spaceplane ready to be deorbited
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The first launch was a successful 224-day flight held on April 22, 2010, and returned to Earth on December 3, 2010. That spaceplane is expected to be re-launched into space in October 2012.

Although the U.S. military will not release the exact orbital parameters of the spaceplane currently in orbit about Earth, amateur trackers of the spaceplane have reported that it is in an approximate 340-kilometer (210-mile) orbit with an inclination (tilt) of about 42.8 degrees to the equator.

However, over the past few weeks it has lowered its orbit in preparation for deorbit and return to Earth.

According to the 6/5/2012 CBS Space News article Vandenberg AFB preps for X-37B landing, Air Force General William L. Shelton, who is the commander of the Air Force Space Command, stated, "Our second X-37 test vehicle has been on orbit for 409 days now, much longer than the 270-day baseline design spec. Although I can't talk about mission specifics, suffice it to say this mission has been a spectacular success."

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William Atkins

William Atkins completed educational degrees in science (bachelor’s in physics and mathematics) from Illinois State University (Normal, United States) and business (master’s in entrepreneurship and bachelor’s in industrial relations) from Western Illinois University

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