Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Mohsin Shaikh
The US Space Force is gearing up for the seventh launch of its secretive X-37B space plane, hinting at its highest and longest flight yet, said a report by science and technology magazine, New Scientist
Across its first six missions, the X-37B accumulated a total of 3774 days in space, with its last mission setting a record at 908 days in orbit
The space plane was previously launched atop Atlas V rockets for five missions and used a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the sixth
Scheduled for December 10, the mission is set to launch atop a Falcon Heavy rocket, indicating the potential for the highest and longest flight for the X-37B, especially with the statement mentioning operations in new orbital regimes
The use of Falcon Heavy, three times as powerful as previous rockets, along with the Space Force's statement about operating in new orbital regimes, suggests an expansion of the X-37B's capabilities
The X-37B has a history of expanding its flight envelope with each mission, and the upcoming one is expected to follow suit, potentially reaching farther into the solar system
Previous missions have stayed in low Earth orbit, but the specific orbit for this mission remains undisclosed
The mission plans to carry various scientific experiments, both classified and unclassified. Among them, testing the effects of space radiation on materials and seeds is one of the less-secretive experiments
The Space Force conducts military operations in outer space and specialises in space warfare. The Space Force is also known for experimenting with space domain awareness technologies, a domain involving monitoring satellites and orbital craft to prevent collisions. The specifics of the technologies being tested remain undisclosed
Image: Twitter
While some experiments are known, the overall objectives of the mission remain shrouded in mystery, adding to the secretive nature of the X-37B space plane's upcoming launch