A U.S. military mini-shuttle launched into space from Florida on Thursday to conduct classified experiments in orbit.
The uncrewed X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Thursday evening aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The mission, the eighth flight for Boeing’s reusable X-37B, will test high-bandwidth inter-satellite laser communications and enhanced space navigation using the highest performing quantum inertial sensor, the U.S. Space Force said.
Why It Matters
The flight underscores growing U.S. efforts to develop resilient space capabilities that could support military and national-security uses beyond conventional satellite systems.
It comes as militaries around the world are expanding their investments in space-based communications and navigation technologies.
What To Know
The uncrewed space plane measures about 9 meters long, and has a wingspan of almost 4.5 meters. It is designed to be reusable, with autonomous reentry and landing capabilities, according to Boeing.
The X-37B program, launched in 2010, has conducted multiple missions, accruing 4,208 days in operation.
The last X-37B mission circled the globe for just over a year before returning to Earth in March. It was the first launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket to a highly elliptical orbit.
The mission tested the X-37B’s aerobraking maneuver capability, which involves using atmospheric drag over multiple passes to change orbits while using minimum fuel.
General Chance Saltzman, the chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force, said in a statement in March: “Mission 7 broke new ground by showcasing the X-37B’s ability to flexibly accomplish its test and experimentation objectives across orbital regimes. The successful execution of the aerobraking maneuver underscores the U.S. Space Force’s commitment to pushing the bounds of novel space operations in a safe and responsible manner.”
What People Are Saying
General Chance Saltzman, the chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force, wrote on X in July: “This mission is about more than innovation. It’s about making our Joint Force more connected, more resilient, and ready to operate in the face of any challenge. That’s how America’s Space Force secures our Nation’s interests in, from, and to space.”
William Blauser, the deputy director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, said in a statement: “OTV-8 exemplifies the X-37B’s status as the U.S. Space Force’s premier test platform for the critical space technologies of tomorrow. Through its mission-focused innovation, the X-37B continues to redefine the art of the possible in the final frontier of space.”
The U.S. Space Force said prior to Thursday’s launch: “Previous X-37B missions have successfully demonstrated the X-37B spacecraft’s ability to alter its orbital trajectory using a novel aerobraking maneuver, experimented with space domain awareness technologies, successfully tested Naval Research Laboratory technology designed to harness solar energy and transmit power to the ground, and subjected seeds to the radiation environment of space for the purpose of better understanding how to sustain humans on long-term crewed missions to the moon and beyond.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen how long the latest mission will remain in space. Previous missions have lasted for months and even more than a year.
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