Footage, in both infrared and visible spectrums, shows the robot's touchdown
The
U.S. Air Force's robotic X-37B space plane came back to Earth Saturday after 15 months in orbit on a mystery mission, and its much-anticipated landing was caught on video.
The X-37B spacecraft touched down at
California's Vandenberg Air Force Base at 5:48 a.m. local time Saturday (8:48 a.m. EDT; 1248 GMT). Several hours later, Vandenberg officials released a short video of the event (seen above).
The first part of the 80-second video was apparently shot in infrared light. It shows the X-37B space plane cruising in for an automated landing, its belly and nose glowing a bright orange-yellow, presumably from the heat generated during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere.
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