US Releases First Official Picture Of Secretive X-37B Space Plane In Orbit

The United States Space Force (USSF) on Friday (Feb 21) released the first photograph of its top-secret X-37B space plane in orbit, much to the amusement of social media users. The photo was taken by a camera onboard the space plane while orbiting high above the African continent. The vehicle has been in orbit for over a year now, having jetted off for its seventh mission on December 28, 2023, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Though the photo contains vague details about the vehicle and what experiments it was performing, it is the first time that the Space Force has released an image of the clandestine plane in orbit.

"An X-37B onboard camera, used to ensure the health and safety of the vehicle, captures an image of Earth while conducting experiments in HEO in 2024," read the post by USSF.

"The X-37B executed a series of first-of-kind maneuvers, called aerobraking, to safely change its orbit using minimal fuel."

An X-37B onboard camera, used to ensure the health and safety of the vehicle, captures an image of Earth while conducting experiments in HEO in 2024.The X-37B executed a series of first-of-kind maneuvers, called aerobraking, to safely change its orbit using minimal fuel. pic.twitter.com/ccisgl493P — United States Space Force (@SpaceForceDoD) February 21, 2025

Social media reacts

As the image went viral, social media users reacted in amusement with few speculating that the US Space Force was building something far more advanced if it had decided to publish X-37B's pictures.

"This is such a flex," said one user while another added: "Love that the US has had a secret spaceplane doing secret spaceplane stuff for two decades and it's sending down coy pictures."

A third commented: "What was that saying again? "If they're showing you this now, they are currently on something far more advanced" or something."

What was that saying again? “If they're showing you this now, they are currently on something far more advanced” or something https://t.co/wmFsVsPDVX — Ujwal Nambiar (@theujwalnambiar) February 22, 2025

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What is X-37B?

Operated by the Space Force's Rapid Capabilities Office, the 29-foot-long X-37B with a 15-foot wingspan is designed to test advanced technologies, including propulsion systems, thermal protection, and autonomous reentry capabilities.

While some details remain classified, the Space Force has disclosed that OTV-7 includes experiments such as radiation effect studies and space domain awareness tests. The X-37B program, which began under NASA in 1999 before transferring to the Department of Defense, has completed seven missions, with each successive flight extending its time in orbit. Cumulatively, it has logged over 4,000 days in space across all missions.