The United States is preparing to launch its secret”mini-spacecraft” X-37B using the very powerful Falcon Heavy rocket from SpaceX. The United States Space Force is ready to launch the unmanned X-37B spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, Florida, for a new classified mission. In this article we will see all the details of this futuristic made-in-USA design.
All the details of SpaceX's X-37B project and why it was temporarily postponed
The launch was scheduled for December 11th postponed by at least 24 hours, as stated by SpaceX on social channels. The launch was canceled about 25 minutes before the scheduled launch window of 8:14 pm EST (01:14 GMT Tuesday). Elon Musk's company He did not specify when a new attempt will be made, with the next launch opportunity Tuesday evening.
The Pentagon has revealed few details about the mission, operated by the US Air and Space Forces as part of the National Security Space Program. This is the second launch under the control of the US Space Forceestablished in December 2019 to carry out military tasks in the airspace.
Regarding the X-37B, it is shrouded in mystery, classified as Top secret. Described as a “rock star” of military space systems, his precise purpose remains unknown, even though he is known for take off and land like a plane. In 2020, Space Force General B. Chance Saltzman indicated that the final missionas reported by the aerospace magazine Air & Space Forces.
The Pentagon has not disclosed the specific altitude at which it plans to position the spaceplane, also known as Orbital Test Vehicle, during the launch scheduled for Monday. However, in a press release last month, the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office said the USSF-52 mission will involve testing of “new orbital regimes”experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies and studying the effects of radiation on materials supplied by NASA.
The exact duration of the spaceplane's mission was not communicated by the military, but it is assumed that it will remain in orbit until at least June 2026 or beyond, following the trend of longer missions. The only certainty is that outside the secret circle of the US space army, no one knows precisely what will be the objectives of the new X-37B mission.
All the features that are known for now about the futuristic spacecraft: how SpaceX's X-37B is made
As reported by Reutersthe X-37B space plane, developed by Boeing and Approximate size of a small bushas similarities to one miniature space shuttle. Its main purpose is to transport various payloads and conduct technological experiments during prolonged orbital flights.
First launched inApril 2010, theX-37B he accumulated a total of 3,774 days in space. This vehicle, which resembles a scaled-down Space Shuttle and originated in the late 1990s, is designed to remain in orbit for extended periods and then return to Earth via gliding flight. Subsequently, it is reconfigured for reuse in future missions.
Unlike the Space Shuttle, the X-37B deploys a solar panel once in orbitallowing him to stay active for long periods, as explained by the Telegraph. Its six missions include the first five, launched with Atlas V rockets from United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The most recent mission, in May 2020, launched using a Falcon 9 rocket supplied by SpaceX.
For the first time, the next mission will launch using SpaceX's highly capable Falcon Heavy rocket much heavier payloads than the X-37B and to take them to significantly higher altitudes, perhaps into geosynchronous orbit beyond 35,000 km above the Earth.
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