As the U.S. Air Force's unmanned X-37B spaceplane surpasses 430 days in orbit, its Boeing-built twin is being prepared to return to space this fall. The X-37B that has been circuiting Earth since early 2011 is the second spacecraft of its kind built for the Air Force by Boeing's Phantom Works. Known as the Orbital Test Vehicle 2, or OTV-2, the spaceplane's classified mission is being carried out by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. The robotic X-37B space plane is a reusable spacecraft that resembles a miniature space shuttle. The Air Force launched the OTV-2 mission March 5, 2011, with an unmanned Atlas 5 rocket lofting the spaceplane into orbit from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
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