Key Highlights
- Launch Delay: The secretive X-37B spacecraft’s mission ‘USSF-52’ launch, scheduled for Dec 7, is delayed to Dec 10, 2023, due to launch pad availability changes.
- Launch Details: USSF-52 will be launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center using SpaceX Falcon Heavy, marking the first time the reusable spacecraft uses this rocket.
- Mission Objectives: The USSF-52 mission will involve tests in new orbital areas, space domain awareness technologies, and studying radiation effects on materials provided by NASA.
- Spacecraft Unique Features: The X-37B, a military space vehicle, conducts secret tests in space, launched with a rocket, and returns to Earth autonomously, designed for altitudes between 240 and 805 kilometers.
- Falcon Heavy’s Role: The powerful Falcon Heavy rocket by SpaceX enables the X-37B to carry heavier payloads into higher orbits, potentially allowing the spacecraft to travel farther into space.
- Program Background: The X-37 program, initiated in 1999 under NASA, later moved to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in 2004, with Boeing producing the X-37B for the US Space Force.
The US Space Force recently shared that the launch of the secretive X-37B spacecraft, known as mission ‘USSF-52’, has been delayed. Originally scheduled for December 7, the launch is now set for December 10, 2023.
The announcement explained, “The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, in partnership with the United States Space Force and SpaceX, is getting ready to launch the seventh mission of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. Due to delays and changes in the availability of the launch pad, USSF-52 will now take off on December 10, 2023.”
The launch will take place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, using the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The delay is attributed to shifts in launch schedules and pad availability at Launch Complex-39A.
Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen of Space Launch Delta 45 shared in a statement from Space Systems Command that, “We work closely with our launch service providers, and the whole team is focused on making sure the mission is a success.”
USSF-52 Mission: X-37B’s Secretive Launch with Falcon Heavy
On December 10, USSF-52 will launch from KSC’s LC-39A, and more details about the launch will be shared closer to the date, as mentioned in the SSC email.
This marks the first time the reusable spacecraft will be launched using a Falcon Heavy rocket, a change from its previous launches with United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rockets and one with a Falcon 9. Reports suggest that this new choice of rocket might affect the mission’s secrecy.
The X-37B, on its previous mission named ‘OTV-6,’ returned to Earth on November 12, 2022. After spending 908 days in orbit since 2020, it landed on the KSC runway used for space shuttle landings.
Falcon Heavy, known as one of the world’s most powerful rockets, can carry heavier payloads into higher orbits than Atlas V and Falcon 9. This may allow the X-37B to travel farther into space than before.
The Space Force, in a statement on November 8, mentioned that the USSF-52 mission will involve various tests, including operating the reusable spaceplane in new orbital areas, testing space domain awareness technologies, and studying the effects of radiation on materials provided by NASA.
SpaceX received a $130 million contract in June 2018 to launch the USSF-52 mission. Originally planned for 2021, the launch was delayed due to payload and range availability.
The X-37B, developed by Boeing and operated by the US Space Force and Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, has been shrouded in secrecy since its development, making it an intriguing object of interest for years.
What Makes This Military Spacecraft Unique?
The X-37B is a special space vehicle used by the US Military for secret testing. It’s like a small, unmanned spaceship based on NASA’s X-37 design. To do its experiments, it gets launched into space with a rocket, stays there for a long time, and then comes back to Earth when commanded.
When the people on the ground tell it to, the X-37B comes back into the atmosphere by itself. It then descends and lands horizontally on a runway. The spacecraft is not very big, with a wingspan of about 4.6 meters, a length of 8.8 meters, and a height of 2.9 meters. It’s made to work at altitudes between 240 and 805 kilometers, and it weighs 4,990 kilograms when it’s launched.
The X-37 program started in 1999 under NASA but later moved to a secret military group called Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in 2004. The US Air Force announced in 2006 that they would make the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), a changed version of NASA’s original X-37A. Boeing, a big aerospace company, made two X-37Bs, and now the US Space Force is in charge of them.
The X-37B tests various technologies, like lightweight flying systems, propulsion systems, materials, and more. Even though some information is available, many details about its travels and experiments are kept secret. Some people worry that other countries, like Russia and China, might think the X-37B is a weapon against satellites, but there’s no clear evidence of that.
Read Original Article on The EurAsian Times
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