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The U.S. Space Force released the first publicly known still image taken by an X-37B while in orbit on February 20, 2025. It shows Earth in the background and part of the unmanned spaceplane—including an apparent solar-panel structure—in the foreground.
The image was captured during X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Mission 7, or OTV-7. It is not the first photograph of an X-37B: ground images, launch photographs and earlier launch footage had already been made public. The more precise description is the first official public in-orbit image taken by the vehicle itself.
What the first X-37B orbital photo shows
The image is an onboard view rather than a photograph taken from the ground or by another spacecraft. Earth appears relatively small in the frame, while part of the X-37B occupies the foreground. Reporting identified the visible planet as Earth over or near Africa, although the official caption describes it more generally as Earth seen from a highly elliptical orbit.
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The Space Force said the onboard camera was used to monitor the vehicle’s health and safety. The image was taken in 2024 and released publicly on February 20, 2025, through the official Space Force X-37B photo archive.
Why it was called the “first-ever” photo
“First-ever” is easy to misread. The public record already included photographs of X-37Bs being prepared for launch, encapsulated, launched and returned to Earth. A brief launch video had also shown an X-37B separating from its launch vehicle.
What was new was the combination of three facts:
- It was an official still image taken by an X-37B’s own onboard camera.
- It showed the spacecraft operating in orbit, with Earth behind it.
- It offered the first publicly released still glimpse of the vehicle in its orbital environment.
So the accurate claim is “first publicly released in-orbit image taken by an X-37B,” not “the first image ever showing an X-37B.”
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The mission behind the photograph: OTV-7
The image came from OTV-7, the X-37B’s seventh mission, associated with the USSF-52 launch. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launched the vehicle from Kennedy Space Center on December 28, 2023.
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OTV-7 returned to Vandenberg Space Force Base on March 7, 2025, after about 434 days in orbit. The mission was therefore complete by the time later coverage discussed the image, rather than still ongoing.
The Space Force subsequently launched the eighth X-37B mission from Kennedy Space Center on August 21, 2025. The official archive contains the agency’s image releases and mission updates.
Why OTV-7’s orbit was unusual
OTV-7 operated in a highly elliptical orbit. That describes the shape of the orbit: the vehicle travels much farther from Earth at one point, called apogee, than at another, called perigee.
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The abbreviation HEO can be confusing because it is also used for “high-Earth orbit” in some contexts. In the X-37B discussion, the relevant description is a highly elliptical Earth orbit. The publicly available material does not establish the exact altitude, apogee or perigee at the moment the photograph was taken, so the image itself should not be used to calculate a precise position.
Lens choice, cropping, viewing angle and image processing can all make Earth appear larger or smaller. A small-looking Earth is not, by itself, proof that the vehicle was at a particular altitude or in deep space.
Aerobraking: the mission’s important technical demonstration
One of OTV-7’s notable activities was aerobraking. In simple terms, a spacecraft makes controlled passes through the upper atmosphere. The resulting drag removes some orbital energy, allowing the spacecraft to reshape or lower its orbit without using its engines for the entire maneuver.
That can save propellant, but it is not a free or risk-free technique. The vehicle must control how deeply it enters the atmosphere and how much drag it experiences. Excessive drag could increase heating or produce an unsafe trajectory. The Space Force described OTV-7’s maneuver as a first-of-its-kind aerobraking operation for the X-37B, using atmospheric drag to change orbit while expending minimal fuel.
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According to post-mission reporting, the maneuver involved multiple atmospheric passes. The spacecraft eventually transitioned back to low Earth orbit before deorbiting and landing. The Aviationist’s account of the mission’s return provides additional context on that sequence.
What the Space Force said OTV-7 was testing
The publicly disclosed objectives included operating the reusable spaceplane in new orbital regimes and testing technologies relevant to future space operations. They included:
- Testing future space-domain-awareness technologies.
- Investigating radiation effects on NASA-provided materials.
- Demonstrating maneuverability and autonomous operations.
- Testing the vehicle’s ability to alter its orbit efficiently.
The photograph was part of a broader disclosure about the mission’s orbital experiments and capabilities, not merely a publicity image. The War Zone’s reporting places the image and the aerobraking activity in that wider mission context.
What the image reveals—and what it does not
What it reveals
- The X-37B carried an operational camera capable of imaging Earth.
- The vehicle was collecting imagery while operating in a highly elliptical orbit.
- A portion of the spacecraft and an apparent solar-power-related structure are visible.
- OTV-7 was capable of conducting operations across different orbital environments.
- The mission used aerobraking as part of its orbital maneuvering work.
What remains unknown
- The exact payload configuration.
- The complete orbital profile and the precise altitude when the image was taken.
- The full configuration of the vehicle visible in the frame.
- Whether the visible hardware represents a unique OTV-7 modification.
- The detailed results and purpose of every onboard experiment.
- Any operational significance beyond the objectives publicly described.
The Space Force has publicly identified the X-37B as a reusable, unmanned spaceplane involved in technology demonstrations and experiments. However, important payload and mission details remain limited or classified. That makes “secretive” a reasonable description of the program’s restricted public disclosure, but it does not mean that every aspect of the spacecraft or mission is unknown.
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What the photo does not prove
The image does not establish that the X-37B is a weapon, a spy plane or a space-based attack platform. Analysts have discussed surveillance and military possibilities because the program is closely guarded, but those interpretations are not confirmed by this photograph or by the mission details publicly released by the Space Force.
Likewise, the picture does not reveal the exact payload, prove a particular altitude or show the entire spacecraft. The strongest conclusions come from separating direct observation—the visible vehicle and Earth—from official disclosure—the camera’s safety role and the mission’s stated objectives—and from analyst inference, which should remain clearly labeled as such.
Why the image matters
Visually, the release is modest: only part of the X-37B is visible, and Earth occupies much of the background. Its significance is operational rather than photographic.
It provides public evidence that the reusable spaceplane was equipped to monitor itself while working in a highly elliptical orbit, and it arrived alongside disclosures about aerobraking, autonomy, radiation testing and space-domain awareness. Together, those details point to a vehicle being used to test how spacecraft can maneuver and operate across multiple orbital environments.
That is more precise—and more useful—than treating the image as proof of a mysterious new weapon. The photograph offers a rare public glimpse of the X-37B in orbit, while leaving the program’s most sensitive payload and operational details undisclosed.
At a glance
| Detail | What is known |
|---|---|
| Image released | February 20, 2025 |
| Image captured | In 2024, according to reporting on the official release |
| Mission | X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Mission 7, or OTV-7 |
| Launch | December 28, 2023, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center |
| Orbit | Highly elliptical Earth orbit, with exact public parameters not established by the image |
| Return | March 7, 2025, at Vandenberg Space Force Base |
| Mission duration | About 434 days |
| Key maneuver | Aerobraking using controlled atmospheric drag to change orbit with minimal propellant |
Image reuse note: The official gallery identifies the release as a U.S. Space Force courtesy photo and provides access through the Defense Media Activity system. Anyone planning commercial republication should verify the current image-specific reuse terms, including rules concerning official insignia, logos, cropping and implied endorsement.
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