Top secret plane X-37B The US returned to space with a new mission, with the peculiarity that it did it with “help” Elon Musk. The point is that for the first time a vehicle belonging to the US Space Force flew aboard the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket..
This is the seventh X-37B mission for which specific details are unknown. US authorities only commented that this time the top-secret aircraft will conduct “a wide range of tests and experiments.” However, their extent is unknown.
The intent is to test the X-37B’s operational capabilities in new orbital regimes, according to the US Space Force. Additionally, experiment with “space domain awareness” technologies and continue to study the effects of radiation on materials provided by NASA.
At least this was said publicly. China and Russia accused the Americans of using the X-37B for spy work From space. And they even hinted that the autonomous vehicle would be able to transport and launch weapons from low-Earth orbit, but the Pentagon denied this several times.
X-37B returns to space aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy
The top secret US aircraft returned to Earth in November 2022 after spending more than 900 days in space. To be more specific, the X-37B achieved a record 908 consecutive days in orbit, significantly exceeding the time frame for which it was designed. The longest previous record was 780 days.
The US Space Force has not mentioned how long this new Boeing-developed drone mission will last. But looking at history, it’s logical to assume that he could have spent at least a couple of years performing his duties in space.
As we mentioned, the seventh X-37B mission stands out because it is the first time the spaceplane has flown aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy. For a previous mission, he flew aboard a historic ship. Atlas V.
“We are excited to expand the reusability capabilities of the X-37B by leveraging the flight-proven service module and Falcon Heavy rocket to conduct numerous cutting-edge experiments for the Department of the Air Force and its partners,” said Lt. Col. Joseph FritschenX-37B program manager.
Of course, we had to wait several weeks for this new release. In principle, the top-secret plane was supposed to return to space on December 7th. However, Elon Musk’s aerospace company has repeatedly had to cancel takeoffs due to bad weather conditions and problems with ground equipment.
Space plane terrain unleashes a new race between the world’s great powers. Just as the United States has the X-37B, China has its own machine with similar characteristics. Curious or not, the Asian ship has a design inspired by the space shuttle, just like Boeing.
Source: Hiper Textual
