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Boeing X-37B reusable space plane returns to Earth after a record 908 days in orbit

The Boeing X-37B reusable space plane returned to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Saturday morning after a record 908 days in orbit around the planet.

The space plane successfully landed at 5:22 a.m. local time Saturday, having broken its own previous endurance record of 780 days in orbit.

The return marked the end of the sixth mission for the X-37B, which is owned and operated by the U.S. Space Force. The plane launched on May 17, 2020, carrying for the first time a service module that augmented how much it could take into space.

“This mission highlights the Space Force’s focus on collaboration in space exploration and expanding low-cost access to space for our partners,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen.