More than a decade ago, MachineTek produced the honeycomb core components for the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. A 29-ft.-long experimental spacecraft that can reenter the Earth’s atmosphere autonomously, this recently-declassified platform has logged a record-setting number of years quietly operating in space.
During the first six missions, the X-37B spent more than 3,774 days in orbit. The spacecraft launches vertically atop a rocket but lands horizontally on a runway, like an airplane. Along with its reusability, the X-37B is more maneuverable and agile than most spacecraft. On its longest mission to date, it orbited nearly 2.5 years before returning to terra firma.
