Tag

X37b

All articles tagged with #x37b

science-and-technology2 years ago•2 min saved

"SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Rockets America's X-37B Spaceplane into a Secretive Orbit"

The US military's X-37B space plane, on its seventh mission, was successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Florida, marking the first time the vehicle has been sent to potentially higher orbits. The mission, shrouded in secrecy and part of the National Security Space Launch program, aims to test new orbital regimes and space domain awareness technologies. The launch comes amid heightened US-China space rivalry and includes a NASA experiment on the effects of space radiation on plant seeds. The exact orbit and mission details remain undisclosed.

via DAWN.com|

##falconheavy #science-and-technology

science-and-technology2 years ago•6 min saved

"Space Rivals: X-37B's Secretive Orbit and SpaceX's Spectacular Dual Launch"

Boeing and SpaceX have revealed footage of the secretive X-37B spaceplane, operated by the U.S. Space Force, with an extended payload module. The video, part of a montage shown before the latest X-37B launch, depicts the vehicle separating from its launch rocket during the OTV-6 mission in 2020. The X-37B's missions remain largely classified, fueling speculation about their purposes, which could range from intelligence and surveillance to space-based weapons. The recent launch, OTV-7, utilized a Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time, potentially placing the X-37B in a higher orbit and expanding its operational capabilities. Details about the mission are limited, but it is known to include experiments on space domain awareness technologies and the effects of radiation on materials.

via The War Zone|

##boeing #science-and-technology