The US Space Force announced today that the launch of its secretive X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is now set for December 10. At this time, no specific launch time on that date has been announced. Originally planned for December 7th, the launch was delayed due to “launch delays and pad availability.”
The reusable spacecraft will be carried to orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, its first time aboard the company’s heavy-payload capable vehicle. Five previous launches were completed using United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V and once, in 2017, using SpaceX’s Falcon 9. This mission will feature a service module attached to the vehicle’s rear for hosting multiple experiments.
The mission will carry more major experiments than prior X-37B flights, including two NASA experiments. One is a sample plate evaluating select materials’ reaction to space conditions. The second studies the effect of ambient space radiation on seeds. According to the Space Force, other experiments include “operating in new orbital regimes, [and] experimenting with space domain awareness technologies.”
Manufactured by Boeing Corporation, the X-37B has flown six missions, with next month’s launch being its seventh. The last mission (OTV-6) was launched on an Atlas V 501 rocket from Cape Canaveral SLC-41 on May 17, 2020. All told, X-37B has spent a total of 3,774 days in orbit.
