It has been photographed and filmed by civilians.  It has been highlighted for years as a marvel of advancing space technology.  But even with so much fanfare, the Boeing X-37 remains mysterious — and for the most part, the USAF and Space Force would like to keep it that way.

But what do we actually know about this marvel of maneuverability?  Here’s one video that showed up in a Boeing 2017 release.

#Boeing-built X-37B OTV-5 mission successfully launches for @usairforce @AFSpace on @SpaceX Falcon 9. More #X37B > https://t.co/7xe2OX2Grx pic.twitter.com/7rmrFyJywG

— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) September 7, 2017

According to Livescience.com the uncrewed X-37 is intriguing partly because of it’s highly classified use, flying covert missions regularly.  It is able to achieve flight vertically, like the Space Shuttles of days gone by, and land like a conventional plane in the same way.

The U.S. Department of Defense’s uncrewed X-37B spy plane is one of the most intriguing spaceships in the world, flying regular covert missions whose purposes aren’t fully known. But over the years, information about the craft, which is also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), has come to light in dribs and drabs.

The reusable X-37B, which resembles a smaller version of one of NASA’s now-retired space shuttles, was originally built by NASA in 1999, as previously reported by Live Science’s sister site Space.com. It is around 29 feet (8.8 meters) long and 9.5 feet (2.9 m) tall, with a wingspan of slightly less than 15 feet (4.6 m). It weighs 11,000 pounds (4,990 kilograms) when on the launchpad.

Like the space shuttle, the X-37B takes off vertically and is propelled by a rocket. Once in orbit, it can maneuver on its own, and it eventually lands on a runway back on Earth, much like a conventional plane. The vehicle has a small payload area, roughly the size of a pickup truck bed, enabling it to carry gear and satellites. It operates at an altitude of between 150 and 500 miles (240 to 805 kilometers) above Earth, according to its manufacturer, Boeing.

NASA transferred two X-37B vehicles to the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in 2004, according to Space.com. After being operated by the U.S. Air Force for many years, the robotic spy planes came under the purview of the newly established Space Force in 2020, according to Military.com, a news and resource website for military members.

Despite flying six missions to date, the X-37B’s true purpose remains a mystery. Some possibilities include surveillance of the Earth’s surface from on high and deploying spy satellites, though nothing has ever been confirmed.

Another short, but intriguing video was released in 2019 after it landed in Florida.  It was returning from a mission that lasted longer than 2 full years – but still, no one knows exactly what it was up to all those months!

The U.S. Air Force’s secret X-37B space plane landed in Florida on Sunday after a record-breaking 2+ years in orbit

The unpiloted plane was sent to conduct classified technology experiments in space pic.twitter.com/Xf6k0gWByZ

— Bloomberg Originals (@bbgoriginals) October 29, 2019

News has broken recently that the X-37 is about to attempt some sort of “unprecedented flight maneuvers” above the earth, according to a New York Post article that just dropped.

The alleged “novel” maneuvers include something called “aerobraking”, during which the vehicle uses the earth’s atmosphere to alter it’s flight in unexpected ways… leaving U.S. adversaries guessing about it’s location, and “projected” flight path, since it is prone to change!

A secretive US spaceship is about to attempt unprecedented flight maneuvers above Earth.

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-7) is an experimental space plane operated by the United States Space Force (USSF).

Although little has been revealed about the purpose of the vehicle, an official painting of the X-37B unveiled last year depicted the futuristic vehicle intercepting an adversary satellite positioning to disable a friendly satellite.

USSF have now announced the X-37B will begin executing a series of “novel maneuvers” called aerobraking.

This sees a number of passes using the drag of Earth’s atmosphere to change its orbit around Earth while expending minimal fuel.

If successful, it will allow the X-37B to safely dispose of its service module components in accordance with recognized standards for space debris mitigation.

Since December 2023, USSF, supported by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, has conducted radiation effect experiments and has been testing Space Domain Awareness technologies in a “Highly Elliptical Orbit.”

Once the aerobrake maneuver is complete, USSF say the X-37B will “resume its test and experimentation objectives until they are accomplished,” at which time the vehicle will de-orbit and execute a safe return as it has during its six previous missions.

Apparently, that is what (according to the Livescience article referenced earlier) former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson was referring to when she mentioned that the X-37 could drive our adversaries nuts!

One of the two X-37Bs accomplished its first launch in 2010 and spent 224 days in space. Its partner vehicle first flew a year later and remained in orbit for more than double that amount of time.

During a panel at the Aspen Security Forum in 2019, former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson revealed that the X-37B may be able to fly low enough to use Earth’s atmosphere to alter its orbit, according to Military.com. Wilson said that the vehicle’s maneuvers are specifically designed to drive adversaries such as Russia and China “nuts” because they are unable to predict exactly how it will behave.

In anticipation of the newest test flights, the Boeing team dropped the newest video highlighting some of X-37’s advanced capabilities.  Talk about a cool video!  (Yeah… total space geek here!)

Learn from #TeamBoeing and the @SpaceForceDoD about the #X37B’s innovations and contributions to the space domain: pic.twitter.com/XadY2T6b5h

— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) October 11, 2024

At a time when America’s dominance on the battlefield in multiple arenas is in question, news of this sort of “mysterious” craft not only gives me nerdy goosebumps from the sheer coolness factor, but I hope it gives our adversaries pause, and maybe a shiver to run down their spines in place of goosebumps.

Who knows what sort of tech is onboard beyond the “mysterious” moves the X-37 can make in space?  I don’t know… and I don’t think they want us to know.  For now that’ll have to be enough.  But I for one will be looking for another vid to drop with more tidbits of technological “mystery” to ooh… and ahh… about!