The United States has launched a secret military spacecraft X-37B into orbit
The launch was carried out using a heavy Falcon Heavy rocket from SpaceX
On the night of Friday, December 29, a secret military spaceplane X-37B was launched in the United States. The launch was carried out from Cape Canaveral Spaceport in Florida for the first time using SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, which is capable of delivering the vehicle to a higher orbit than before.
Previous flights of the X-37B, which was delivered to space by the Atlas V and later Falcon 9 rocket, took place at an altitude of up to 2000 km above the Earth, DW writes.
The US Department of Defense has released little information about the mission, saying only in November that it would entail "a host of advanced experiments," including "operating the X-37B in new orbital modes, experimenting with future space awareness technologies, and researching the radiation effects on NASA-provided materials."
It is not reported how long the spacecraft will stay in orbit, but it is likely that the flight will last until June 2026. Last time, the X-37B stayed in orbit for more than two years.
The launch of the American spacecraft was delayed by two weeks, and the launch was canceled three times due to bad weather and technical problems. Two weeks ago, China sent its secret robotic spacecraft called Shenlong ("Divine Dragon") into orbit.
The X-37B space drone looks like a mini version of manned spacecraft. It is 9 meters long, has a wingspan of 4.5 meters, and a takeoff weight of about 5 tons. It is powered by solar panels. After flying in orbit, the vehicle lands in airplane mode.
The X-37B has been in service since 2010 and was developed for the Pentagon by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Background. As a reminder, SpaceX launched the Starship for the second time, but it also exploded – the first attempt in April was also unsuccessful and ended in an explosion.
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