If the weather cooperates, the Air Force's robotic X-37B unmanned space plane will land at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Tuesday, following 22 months in orbit. What the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, made by Boeing and resembling a miniature space shuttle, was doing in space is classified, as is why the Air Force has a space drone in the first place — though there has been lots of speculation.
This is the third X-37B mission, and the longest by far: 662 days as of Monday, according to Space.com. Its first mission, using the same spacecraft and starting in 2010, lasted 225 days; its second mission, using a second craft, lasted 469 days. For what it's worth, Boeing says the Orbital Test Vehicle is meant to "explore reusable vehicle technologies in support of long-term space objectives," including "space experimentation, risk reduction, and concept of operations development," plus hopefully "making space access more routine, affordable, and responsive."
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