OTV-7 will test the capabilities of the X-37B in “new orbital regimes,” according to Space Force officials, while also exploring technologies for creating a safer, more secure space environment.
Two of Falcon Heavy’s three reusable boosters successfully made their signature landings at Cape Canaveral launch pads; while one missed its target and will fall into the Atlantic Ocean instead.
What is falcon X-37B?
Since its initial launch in 2010, the X-37B has spent years orbiting Earth and breaking endurance records on each mission, but as it remains classified and the Pentagon keeps quiet about its activities, speculation and conspiracy theories have swirled surrounding its activities such as being used as a covert spy spacecraft or for US military satellite sabotage operations against other nations’ satellites – all claims dismissed by experts as far-fetched and absurd.
OTV-7 will mark the seventh flight for the X-37B and be its highest and longest to date. According to the Space Force, this mission will expand its “flight envelope”, testing new technologies while pushing utility space limits further than ever.
This time around, the X-37B will launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. This rocket boasts three times more power than SpaceX’s Atlas V and Falcon 9 models and will also carry NASA’s Seeds-2 experiment, designed to test whether plant seeds can withstand long-distance spaceflight radiation environments.
What is the X-37B’s purpose?
Boeing-built X-37B spacecraft are approximately the size and appearance of a small bus and are used to conduct long-duration orbital flights with various payloads for technology experiments on board, similar to miniature space shuttle crafts. Previous missions, known as OTV missions, have lasted two years or longer and tested such factors as how organic materials respond over time when exposed to space exposure.
The Air Force has long kept the details of the X-37B program secret, but recently issued a mission profile for OTV-7 that stated its purpose would include exploring “new orbital regimes” and testing new space domain awareness technologies. For the first time ever, an X-37B will launch from SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rather than their reliable Falcon 9 rocket.
Amateur space trackers have hypothesized that the increased lift provided by Falcon Heavy could allow the X-37B to fly in highly elliptical orbits closer to either Earth’s orbital path or nearer the moon, making rendezvousing easier with satellites for fueling or replenishment missions.
What is the X-37B’s status?
From its inaugural mission in 2010, the X-37B has spent over 3,700 days in space on uncrewed missions to test technology and push its capabilities. On its upcoming flight dubbed OTV-7 or USSF-52, this 29-foot long spaceplane will conduct various classified experiments such as “space domain awareness technologies” testing as well as radiation effects on NASA materials, according to Air Force.
This marks the first time an X-37B has used the more powerful Falcon Heavy rocket instead of its more traditional launches such as United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V and Falcon 9. However, why this decision was made is unknown.
Due to weather and technical complications, the originally scheduled Dec. 28 launch of the X-37B has been postponed multiple times. Once launched, its flight path remains unknown; once launched it will travel through an orbit whose contents remain classified. Two side boosters will return home and land successfully at Cape Canaveral for an incredible landing event that creates sonic booms beyond Florida’s shores.
What is the X-37B’s future?
Since its inaugural flight in 2010, the X-37B has logged more than 3,700 days of flight on uncrewed missions without human supervision. It has performed cutting-edge experiments for Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office as well as satellite deployment for NASA; its shuttle-style runway landings make it vulnerable to hostile attacks, however.
OTV-7 will mark the X-37B’s next mission and it is scheduled to experiment with “space domain awareness technologies.” Though details on what this entails remain vague, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket offers three times more lift capacity than previous rockets used for previous flights of this spacecraft.
This mission will also include testing an experiment conducted for NASA to examine how plant seeds respond to radiation exposure in space – this research could enable astronauts to grow their own food during future deep space missions. Other investigations on board will look into how radiation affects the crew support module of X-37Bs.
