The Air Force X-37B landed at Kennedy Space Center after its longest ever, and mysterious, 780-day mission in space. While the exact mission of the shuttle-like aircraft remains a well-guarded secret, the Air Force did reveal that several small satellites were released during its two-year mission.
In a statement, Gen. David L. Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff said, “The safe return of this spacecraft, after breaking its own endurance record, is the result of the innovative partnership between government and industry. The sky is no longer the limit for the Air Force and, if Congress approves, the U.S. Space Force.”
This flight has stirred some controversy because this was the first time the X-37B reportedly deployed several small unregistered satellites. Due to the secrecy surrounding the details of the X-37B mission, is not known if the satellites were left in orbit, destroyed, or recaptured and returned to Earth with the landing of the spacecraft.