The US Space Force, which currently operates two X-37Bs, announced on October 10 part of the seventh mission of the mysterious space plane. The mission begins in December 2023 and includes launching the X-37B to a much higher orbit than before, according to The War Zone .

Through a series of new maneuvers, the X-37B will change its orbit around Earth and safely dispose of its service module components based on recognized standards for reducing space debris.

Specifically, the X-37B will test what is called "aerodynamic braking", which takes advantage of the pull of the Earth's atmosphere to allow the space plane to change orbit while consuming the least amount of fuel.

It is not yet clear whether the X-37B has moved to a lower orbit. A move to a lower orbit is necessary to complete this maneuver.

The use of aerodynamic braking in space flights is not new and has been used by NASA and other agencies around the world to change the trajectory of spacecraft over the past few decades. However, this is the first time the US has applied it to the X-37B series.

"These new moves demonstrate the U.S. Space Force's commitment to achieving breakthrough progress in executing our national security missions in space," Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in a statement.

General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Staff of Space Operations, said that the first application of aerodynamic braking to the X-37B marks an extremely important milestone for the US Space Force as it seeks to expand its capabilities and ability to deploy operations in a challenging operating domain such as space.