{"id":2569,"date":"2023-12-08T03:17:34","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T10:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alaskaglobe.com\/?p=2569"},"modified":"2023-12-08T03:54:52","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T10:54:52","slug":"mysterious-x-37b-spacecraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alaskaglobe.com\/mysterious-x-37b-spacecraft\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX and US Space Force Schedule Launch of Mysterious X-37B Spacecraft for Dec. 10"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The mysterious X-37 B spacecraft of the U.S. Space Force is poised for its seventh flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Space Force officials confirmed in an update today (Dec. 7) that both the Space Force and SpaceX are in the concluding stages of readying the robotic X-37B for its planned Sunday evening launch on Dec. 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The space plane is set to launch atop a Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 10-minute launch window begins at 8:14 p.m. EST (0114 GMT on Dec. 11). Should SpaceX proceed with the expected webcast, viewers will have the opportunity to watch the live action on Space.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s believed that the Space Force has two X-37B vehicles, both constructed by Boeing. These space planes bear a striking resemblance to NASA’s retired space shuttle orbiters, albeit in a much smaller size. Remarkably, both X-37Bs could easily fit inside the payload bay of a single space shuttle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two X-37Bs have completed a combined total of six missions so far, each surpassing the previous in duration and ambition. The latest, named OTV-6 (Orbital Test Vehicle-6), concluded in November 2022 after a remarkable 908 days orbiting Earth before touching down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The duration of the upcoming OTV-7 flight remains undisclosed as the Space Force maintains limited transparency regarding X-37B missions due to the classified nature of their payloads. Among these payloads are anticipated to be cutting-edge reconnaissance instruments. Military authorities have consistently highlighted the X-37B’s role as a platform for testing and advancing new technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed, alongside its classified payloads, the X-37B also transports certain civilian research cargo. For instance, among the unclassified experiments scheduled for OTV-7 is Seeds-2, a NASA<\/a><\/em><\/strong> initiative aimed at examining the effects of prolonged exposure to space radiation on seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The initial five X-37B missions were launched using United Launch Alliance Atlas V rockets, while the latest mission took flight aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. Notably, OTV-7 marks the inaugural use of the robust Falcon Heavy for an X-37B mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Falcon Heavy boasts a history of eight successful missions thus far. In its most recent launch in October, it propelled NASA’s Psyche spacecraft toward the peculiar metal asteroid sharing its name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n