--- title: "The Space Force’s Top-Secret Spaceplane Is About to Do a Sick Stunt" description: "The Pentagon is promising that its X-37b spaceplane is going to do some sweet stunts in the upper atmosphere soon." date: "2024-10-11" modified: "2024-10-11" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-force-spaceplane-stunt" categories: - "Space" - "Space Force" tags: - "space force" - "Spaceplane" - "the digest" - "x-37b" --- # The Space Force’s Top-Secret Spaceplane Is About to Do a Sick Stunt ![The Pentagon is promising that its X-37b spaceplane is going to do some sweet stunts in the upper atmosphere soon.]() *\Image: USSF\* ## Dip and Dive Despite being top-secret, the Pentagon is promising that its X-37b spaceplane is going to do some sick-ass stunts in the upper atmosphere soon. As [*SpaceNews* reports,]() the Department of Defense's secretive X-37B craft is slated to do some aerobraking maneuvers while it passes through Earth's upper atmosphere, essentially using atmospheric drag to alter its orbit and save on fuel. Manufactured by Boeing, the [reusable and unmanned craft]() is jointly operated by the Space Force and Air Force. It's been in orbit on its latest mission since just before Christmas of last year and was launched [just a few weeks after China's Shenlong counterpart](), the website notes. Though we don't know exactly what its purpose is or how long its current flight is supposed to last, the X-37B has repeatedly shown itself to be capable of staying in space for [long periods of time](). "This first-of-a kind maneuver from the X-37B is an incredibly important milestone for the United States Space Force as we seek to expand our aptitude and ability to perform in this challenging domain," general Chance Saltzman, the branch's chief of space operations, said in a statement provided to *SpaceNews*. ## Fuzzy Timeline This new trick, which will see the spaceplane dipping its wings into the atmosphere to slow it down, is just another example of the [expensive X-37b]()'s technological prowess — even if we don't know why, exactly, it's necessary. It's also unclear when this new atmospheric aerobraking trick will occur, but military officials did provide a peek into what will happen after the stunt in a [separate statement to *Ars Technica*](). "Once the aerobrake maneuver is complete, the X-37B will resume its test and experimentation objectives until they are accomplished," the branch told the website, "at which time the vehicle will deorbit and execute a safe return as it has during its six previous missions." Interestingly, Space Force also admitted a bit of the secretive spaceplane's current operations in its statement to *Ars* as well. During its nine months in orbit, the X-37b has "conducted radiation effect experiments and has been testing space domain awareness technologies in a highly elliptical orbit." **More on spaceplanes:** [*Chinese Spacecraft Has Secret Military Use, Experts Say*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()