All articles tagged with #x 37b spaceplane
A US military spaceplane, X-37B, will test a quantum inertial sensor using atom interferometry during its upcoming mission, aiming to provide a highly sensitive, GPS-independent navigation system for space and other environments where GPS is unreliable or unavailable, marking a significant advancement in quantum technology applications for aerospace.
The U.S. Air Force X-37B spaceplane, operated by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office and the U.S. Space Force, is set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on December 7 from Kennedy Space Center. This will be the seventh mission for the reusable spaceplane, designated as Orbital Test Vehicle 7 (OTV-7). The mission aims to conduct various tests, including operating in new orbital regimes, experimenting with space domain awareness technologies, and investigating radiation effects on materials. The X-37B will also carry a NASA experiment called Seeds-2, which will expose plant seeds to the radiation environment of long-duration spaceflight.