Happy Biiiirthday Mr. USAF X-37B Robot Space Plane
![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/xJM9ET7vWfOinvNqyJm8EQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU2Ng--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/Ut1SBsgiyvGH3.J2rKZQPw--~B/aD0zNTQ7dz02MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/03/x37b-small.jpg)
The X-37B was only meant to stay up in space for a gestational nine months, but a full year has now passed since launch and the US Air Force apparently has little interest in bringing its baby home. On the contrary: according to Space.com, the plan is to send up another unmanned space plane to keep the X-37B company on its [CLASSIFIED] missions. Whatever it's getting up to in that airless playground, it must be doing something right. Air Force Lt. Col. Tom McIntyre says the craft is "setting the standard for a reusable space plane and, on this one-year orbital milestone, has returned great value on the experimental investment." Which is a fine way of saying [STILL CLASSIFIED].