"An X-37B onboard camera, used to ensure the health and safety of the vehicle, captures an image of Earth while conducting experiments in [highly elliptical orbit] in 2024," the Space Force posted on X. "The X-37B executed a series of first-of-kind maneuvers, called aerobraking, to safely change its orbit using minimal fuel."

During the first six missions, the X-37B spent more than 3,774 days in orbit. It launched on its current mission, OTV-7, on Dec. 28, 2023, and passed 400 days in orbit on Jan. 31. By comparison, the space shuttle spent 1,323 days in space during NASA shuttle flights between April 1981 and July 2011.

The current Space Force policy of seeking to compete militarily with China to prevent a future space war has left America vulnerable to Beijing’s control over the vital domain, according to a think tank report made public on Wednesday.

The United States Space Force released the first public photo taken by X-37B space plane in orbit, showing the vehicle high above Earth.

The military keeps in-flight details on the X-37B relatively quiet. A new photo gives the first look at what the view is from space.