The United States Space Force’s secretive X-37B space plane touched down to earth on Friday after spending 434 days in orbit conducting mysterious tests.

The unmanned Boeing-made aircraft landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 2:22 a.m. EST having “broke new ground” by completing a range of test and experimentation objectives, the USSF said in a statement. 

The space plane was launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida by SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy Rocket in 2023 in what was its seventh mission. The aircraft is solar-powered, reusable and operated remotely. Space.com noted that most of its payloads remain classified.

The United States Space Force’s secretive X-37B space plane completed its seventh mission on Friday. (Space Force)

“Mission 7 broke new ground by showcasing the X-37B’s ability to flexibly accomplish its test and experimentation objectives across orbital regimes.” Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations at Space Force, said in a statement. 

“The successful execution of the aerobraking maneuver underscores Space Force’s commitment to pushing the bounds of novel space operations in a safe and responsible manner.”

Space Force shared several images of the aircraft after it touched down. In one image, a group of people in hazmat-like suits approach the secretive plane. 

Lt. Col. Blaine Stewart, the X-37B program director, said that the mission marked a significant milestone in the ongoing development of the agency’s dynamic mission capability.

The United States Space Force’s secretive X-37B space plane (Space Force)

“Mission 7’s operation in a new orbital regime, its novel aerobraking maneuver, and its testing of space domain awareness experiments have written an exciting new chapter in the X-37B program,” Steward said. 

Last month, Space Force shared a rare image of Earth while conducting experiments.