leading the news
- The world’s most powerful operational rocket, the Falcon Heavy, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida amid a dazzling flame and smoke.
- The launch was delayed for more than two weeks due to bad weather and technical problems, but it was finally launched after a smooth countdown and launch.
- The X-37B is a reusable, unmanned spacecraft similar to a mini-space shuttle operated by the U.S. Space Force for classified missions to test new technologies and conduct experiments in orbit.
- The X-37B has flown six missions since 2010, each lasting longer than the last. The last mission, which ended in October 2021, set a record for the number of days spent in space at 908 days.
- The X-37B’s current mission, called OTV-7, is the first to be launched on a Falcon Heavy rocket, which has three times the thrust of the Falcon 9 rocket that flew the previous mission.
- Falcon Heavy could allow the X-37B to reach higher orbits than previously possible, perhaps as high as geostationary orbit, where the satellite remains at the same point on Earth. The X-37B has previously flown in low Earth orbit at a maximum altitude of 1,200 miles (2,000 km).
big picture
The X-37B is a Boeing-built vehicle that resembles a small space shuttle and is the cornerstone of the U.S. military’s foray into reusable space technology. Previous missions, mostly in low-Earth orbit, have been shrouded in secrecy with a focus on testing. We are conducting new technologies and various experiments. The use of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket in this mission highlights the important collaboration between the U.S. military and the commercial space industry and represents significant advances in rocket technology and payload delivery.
why is it important
The X-37B’s latest mission highlights the growing strategic importance of space for national security and technological advancement. Its ability to reach higher orbits and potentially get closer to the moon represents a significant leap in capability, reflecting the escalating space race, especially in the context of the US-China conflict. The mission could pave the way for new forms of space-based surveillance, communications and other classified operations.
what they are saying
- The Pentagon has remained mum on the specific purpose of the X-37B’s latest mission, saying only that it will test “new orbit regimes and future space domain awareness technologies.”
- “It’s probably going to fly towards the moon and drop a payload,” said Bob Hall, director of COMSPOC, a space traffic monitoring company that analyzes the trajectory of objects in orbit. The closer a spacecraft gets to the moon, the more difficult it may be to return safely to Earth.
- There was no official word on whether the X-37B reached its planned initial orbit after liftoff.
- Industry analysts and space enthusiasts have speculated that the spacecraft could be headed for a highly elliptical orbit, or even the moon, which is of growing interest to the Pentagon.
- The mission also includes a NASA experiment to study the effects of space radiation on plant seeds, marking a broader scope of research that could benefit future long-duration space missions. There is.
Things to be careful about
- As the X-37B embarks on its latest journey, the mission’s secrecy and potential for high-orbit operations add a new dimension to space exploration and military capabilities. The United States and China are both advancing their respective space technologies, and the X-37B mission could be an important step in determining future trends in space exploration and security.
- China’s equally secretive Shenlong was carried into space by a Long March 2F rocket on December 14, but this launch system is less powerful than SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and is less capable of delivering payloads to low Earth orbit. considered to be limited.
- Still, Space Force Gen. B. Chance Saltzman told reporters at an industry conference earlier this month that he expects China to launch Shenron around the same time as the X-37B’s flight, suggesting this is a competitive move. suggested that.
- “These are two of the most-watched objects in orbit, and it’s probably no coincidence that they’re trying to match us in this timing and order,” Saltzman said. Space Force Magazine.
- The duration and results of this mission will be closely monitored by governments and space agencies around the world keen to understand the evolving landscape of space operations and technology.
(Information provided by agency)