Second X-37B Robotic Spacecraft Turns 1 in Orbit

An unmanned spacecraft developed by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the US Air Force (USAF) just celebrated its first anniversary in space. The Orbital Test Vehicle 2 (X-37B OTV-2) has been in space for over 12 months.

Dubbed USA-226, this is only the second flight ever conducted with this type of drone. The first one was called USA-212, lasted from April 7 to December 3, 2010. It demonstrated that the X-37B could handle prolonged exposures to the tough conditions present in low-Earth orbit.

The USAF is keeping mum about what these spacecraft will do for the United States. The organization says that both X-37Bs are being used to validate certain orbital technologies, including propulsion systems, power generation, and so on.

In the meantime, a third OTV is currently being readied for launch. Some believe that it may launched by the end of 2012. The USAF did not say when it expected OTV-2 to return to Earth, Space reports.