The US Space Force has revealed the first images of its secretive X-37B space plane, which has been in orbit for more than a year.

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.

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.

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 secretive autonomous plane snapped the photo during experimental maneuvers in high-earth orbit. On Friday, the Space Force published a picture taken last year from a camera mounted on the secretive X-37B space plane while high above the Earth.