The U.S. military’s secretive X-37B space plane is performing a groundbreaking orbital maneuver called aerobraking. The process uses atmospheric drag instead of fuel to gradually lower its orbit — a technique that could significantly extend mission durations and reduce operational costs.
The unmanned X-37B launched on its seventh mission in December 2023, hitching a ride aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Since then, it has operated in a highly elliptical orbit, traveling far beyond the range of typical satellites.
🚀#X37B is currently performing advanced aerobraking maneuvers, taking it from a highly elliptical orbit and lowering its altitude using minimal fuel.
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) November 1, 2024
This first-of-its-kind demonstration expands our knowledge of dynamic operations between orbits.
Watch to learn more: pic.twitter.com/EjmeSxoOuw
As part of the aerobraking maneuver, the craft carefully dips into the outer layers of Earth’s atmosphere to reshape its trajectory. This precision move generates intense friction, heating the spacecraft’s underbelly until it glows red-hot.
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This milestone demonstrates a shift toward more efficient and flexible ways to navigate and operate in space. By reducing reliance on fuel, aerobraking enables longer missions and greater adaptability in orbit.
Boeing, which developed the X-37B for the U.S. Department of Defense, states the maneuver saves significant fuel and expands the potential of reusable spacecraft.
While much about the X-37B remains classified, officials confirmed it is being used for experimental research, including studying the effects of space radiation on various materials.
