All articles tagged with #orbital test vehicle
SpaceX is preparing for its eighth launch of the U.S. Space Force's Orbital Test Vehicle, targeting a launch on August 21 from Kennedy Space Center, with a backup on August 22, weather permitting. The mission involves a Falcon 9 rocket, which has previously launched several other missions, and the first stage will land at Cape Canaveral, potentially causing a sonic boom.
The US military's X-37B spaceplane is set for its seventh mission, this time launching atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The secretive vehicle, resembling a miniature space shuttle, is designed for long-duration orbital flights and technology experiments. The mission's details remain undisclosed, but it is expected to test new orbital regimes and space domain awareness technologies. The X-37B will also carry a NASA experiment to study the effects of radiation on plant seeds. This launch marks the ninth for SpaceX's Falcon Heavy and the third time it has been used for a national security payload.