The U.S. Air Force is scheduled to send another space plane X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle into space, according to Associated Press on Friday.

The unmanned space plane is reportedly to be launched with the help of an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida during the weekend.

The first of these space planes is built by Boeing's Phantom Works in California. Boeing has been selected as the Pentagon's supplier of aerial refueling tankers, particularly to the Air Force, and the program will deliver first 18 aircrafts by 2017, said a statement lately.

The launch of the space shuttle Discovery earlier this week marked the beginning of the end of the space shuttle era in U.S. space exploration program. It is said that the launch of the new X-37B space plane by the U.S. Air Force is to show the nation's continuing efforts in space researching. (Agencies)