Air Force X-37B space plane lands in California

The Air Force's first unmanned space shuttle glided home to a night time landing in California this morning following a historic mission.

The X-37B mini-shuttle made a pinpoint touchdown at Vandenberg, AFB northeast of Los Angeles today at 4:16 am EST, following nearly 225 days in space.

X-37B program manager Lt Col Troy Giese stated moments after landing, "We are very pleased that the program completed all the on-orbit objectives for the first mission."

The craft's long flight was cloaked in military silence, with little known about the performance of the craft and if any issues arose.

The X-37B is a winged, aerodynamic spacecraft with a similar style to NASA's space shuttle.

Launched from Florida last April 22, the X-37B craft has a wing span of nearly 15 feet and a 29-foot body length.

A second flight by a second unmanned vehicle is due to launch from Cape Canaveral around May 1.