Prepare for the inaugural launch of the US Space Force’s Boeing X-37B unmanned, reusable space plane. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will lift it into space from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in early December, according to the US military.
“The X-37B Mission 7 will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time, designated USSF-52, with a wide range of test and experimentation objectives,” Space Force said.
The enigmatic spaceplane, built by Boeing and operated by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office and the Space Force, recently completed a 2.5-year mission in space.
The Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the X-37B into space on a mission designated “USSF-52” on Dec. 7, performing various experiments and tests, including adapting the reusable spaceplane to new orbital regimes, experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies, and studying the radiation effects on materials provided by NASA.
“We are excited to expand the envelope of the reusable X-37 B’s capabilities, using the flight-proven service module and Falcon Heavy rocket to fly multiple cutting-edge experiments for the Department of the Air Force and its partners,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Fritschen, the X-37B Program Director.
The X-37B, just 29 feet in length and 9.5 feet high, with a wingspan of 15 feet, bears similarities to the retired space shuttle.
Also, here’s a look at the X-37B’s prior top-secret missions in low-Earth orbit:
- OTV-1: launched on Apr. 22, 2010 and landed on Dec. 3, 2010, spending over 224 days in orbit.
- OTV-2: launched on Mar. 5, 2011 and landed on Jun. 16, 2012, spending over 468 days in orbit.
- OTV-3: launched on Dec. 11, 2012 and landed on Oct. 17, 2014, spending over 674 days in orbit.
- OTV-4: launched on May 20, 2015 and landed on May 7, 2015, spending nearly 718 days in orbit.
- OTV-5: launched on Sept. 7, 2017 and landed on Oct. 27, 2019, spending nearly 780 days in orbit.
- OTV-6: launched on May 17, 2020 and landed on Nov. 12, 2022, spending over 908 days in orbit.
Gossip has it that the X-37B could be a testbed for space weapons or a means to capture adversary satellites.
Moreover, the X-37B’s launch with SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket underscores Elon Musk’s growing dominance as the “uncancellable” billionaire in the realm of rocket technology.
By Zerohedge.com
