That’s over 2 YEARS in space, and then to return to a runway landing ala the Space Shuttle:
The U.S. Air Force announced that the Orbital Test Vehicle, also known as the X-37B, completed its fifth successful mission — OTV-5 — establishing a record for mission duration of a reusable space vehicle.
The Boeing-made X-37B vehicle landed at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility on Oct. 27, marking the second autonomous landing and recovery at that site, and is now inside the Orbital Test Vehicle Processing Facility.
The X-37B launched on Sept. 7, 2017. The 780-day mission is the longest of its five missions to date.
“Congratulations to the U.S. Air Force and the X-37B team on the completion of the record-breaking Orbital Test Vehicle Mission 5,” said Troy Dawson, leader of Boeing Government Satellite Systems. “X-37B combines the best of aircraft and spacecraft design and continues to demonstrate that it is a proven, affordable and responsive system that can accommodate current and future government objectives.”
Boeing made history in December 2010 when mission OTV-1 became the United States’ first unmanned vehicle to return from space and land on its own.
I don’t care who you are… that’s pretty cool.