Military Spaceplane to be Launched by America's Space Force, Operating Under a Veil of Secrecy
Space Force Prepares for Eighth X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Mission
The United States Space Force is set to launch the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle for its eighth mission on August 21, 2021, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This uncrewed, autonomous spacecraft, built by Boeing, will hitch a ride on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for this mission.
Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations for Space Force, believes the mission is about making the Joint Force more connected, more resilient, and ready to operate in any challenge. The goal is to secure America's interests in, from, and to space.
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle has already proven its durability, having spent more than 4,200 days in operation during its previous seven missions. It has flown more than 1.3 billion miles in orbit and can spend years in space, with mission lengths usually between 12 and 24 months.
The eighth mission of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle will include demonstrations of high-bandwidth inter-satellite laser communications technologies. These laser communications are considered more secure than traditional radio frequencies and can transmit more data than older technologies.
One of the key experiments on this mission aims to enhance space navigation using the highest performing quantum inertial sensor in space. This quantum sensor measures rotation and acceleration at the atomic level, providing highly accurate navigation data.
The Space Force is pushing to uphold the safety and security of the space domain by enhancing the resilience and flexibility of U.S. orbital systems. The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle's experiments are a significant step towards achieving this goal.
Upon completion of its mission, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle will return to Earth like an airplane, gliding to a landing at sites on either the East or West Coast. The Space Force has selected SpaceX as the partner to launch the eighth mission of the X-37B, with the spacecraft expected to return in 2025.
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle's missions are crucial for the U.S. military to test technology and conduct experiments in high and low Earth orbits. These experiments help to ensure the United States remains at the forefront of space exploration and technology development. The launch window for the eighth mission is between 11:40 p.m. ET on Thursday and 5:11 a.m. ET on Friday.
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