What weapon is the US hiding? Mysterious secretive mission breaks record for time in space

A top-secret unmanned military spacecraft has broken the record on spaceflight duration – amid raging speculation over its purpose. The X-37B spacecraft belongs to the US Air Force and has been orbiting the earth for 719 days. However, the goals of the top-secret mission remain classified, sparking a frenzy of conspiracy theories.

The Orbital Test Vehicle 5 (OTV-5) mission is the spacecraft’s fifth mission.

On Monday, the plane broke the record set by its previous mission, OTV-4, which stayed in the air for 717 days, 20 hours and 42 minutes.

This latest mission was launched on 7th September 2017 by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

According to the Air Force, the X-37B’s primary objectives are to research reusable spacecraft technologies for America’s future in space, and to conduct experiments that can be returned to, and examined, on Earth.

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The unmanned vehicle is thought to carry out intelligence operations from space.

However the lack of details surrounding its mission has led to fervent speculation.

One theory suggested that the military might be testing an EM Drive in space – a hypothetical fuel-less propulsion system that’s been studied by NASA

Some have speculated that the experimental plane is loaded with spy cameras.

However, its low Earth orbit is also where many military and commercial satellites are situated.

The spacecraft does not hold a single crew member on board, with its systems run on computer systems for navigation and operation.

In 2010 the Air Force denied that the program involved any “offensive capabilities”.

According to Force spokesman Major William Russell, the current mission has no specified end date.

He said the spacecraft will return to Earth only after its completed all its objectives.

source: express.co.uk