The US Space Force has released a rare photo taken by its secretive X-37B space plane last year while in high-earth orbit. The image was captured during experimental “first-of-kind” aerobraking maneuvers, aiming to safely change the plane’s orbit using minimal fuel. According to the Air Force, this process involves a series of passes through Earth’s atmosphere and is part of its ongoing efforts to operate in new orbital regimes and test future space domain awareness technologies.
The X-37B’s seventh mission follows its sixth, which concluded in November 2022 after nearly two-and-a-half years. Prior to its launch, the Space Force mentioned an onboard NASA experiment investigating plant seeds’ radiation exposure during long spaceflight missions.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/space/618088/space-force-x-37b-earth-photo-experimental-maneuvers