The US Army's Space Plane Is About to Fly Again: It Needs a Bigger Rocket

Enlarge / SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket stands on Launch Complex 39A In Florida, hours Before It is program lift-off with THE the military X-37B space plane. Trevor Mahlmann/Ars Technical

CAP CANAVERAL, Florida—A EspaceX Falcon Heavy rocket East ready For launch as Soon as Tuesday night Since THE Kennedy Space Center In Florida, And THE WE the military mysterious X-37B space plane East attached a top THE heavy weights For A to go up In orbit.

Although THE Space Force East keeping details about THE military space plane flight below wraps, We know It is title In A unusual orbit, probably significantly upper that THE X-37B previous stays that stayed In A little hundred kilometers of Earth surface.

SpaceX launch team called disabled A launch attempt Monday night "because of A ground side issue" And reset For another launch opportunity as Soon as Tuesday night has 8:14 p.m. EST (01:14 UTC). When he elevators disabled, THE Falcon Heavy will light 27 kerosene fueled engines has power THE rocket disabled It is launch buffer overlooking THE Atlantic coastline.

You can watch THE launch using SpaceX live video food on X, THE social media platform, Or if You prefer Youtube, third party streams are available Since Space flight NOW And NASASpaceflight.

THE exact altitude THE X-37B will be flying through East not clear, but amateurs And amateur detectives WHO to use open source information has rebuild trajectories of Top secret military spatialship suggest THE Falcon Heavy will carry THE wing vehicle In A orbit that could stretchable tens of thousands of kilometers above THE planet.

What is this more, THE Falcon Heavy will apparently take A flight path towards THE northeast Since that of Florida Space Side, SO Ultimately release THE X-37B on A path that will take he on Earth polar Regions. This East A significant departure Since THE flight profile For THE military space plane six previous missions, which all stole has space on smaller rockets that THE Falcon Heavy.

In A statement, THE Space Force said This flight of THE X-37B East concentrate on “a large range of test And experimentation goals." Flying In "new orbital diets" East among THE test goals, military civil servants said.

"He seems has Me as he could be A a lot upper orbit that It is going has," said Brian Weeden, director of program planning For THE Secure World Foundation, which favors sustainable And peaceful uses of outside space. "Otherwise, I don't do it know Why they would be to use A Falcon Heavy, which East A pretty big thing."

Covering more ground

THE X-37B space plane has attracted A plot of attention And speculation Since It is First of all assignment In 2010. Through several administrations, Pentagon civil servants to have regularly walk A narrow double between grateful THE existence of THE space plane, And disclose limit information about It is general aim, while to treat a few details with THE maximum secret. THE military do not talk about Or In space he flies. With A little exceptions, defense civil servants do not have publicly discussed details of What THE X-37B door In orbit.

THE military has two Built by Boeing X-37B space planes, Or Orbital Test Vehicles, In It is inventory. They are reusable And designed has launch inside THE payload fairing of A conventional rocket, spend several years In space with THE to use of solar power, And SO back has Earth For A landing on A three miles long track, either has Vandenberg Space Force Base In California Or has from NASA Kennedy Space Center In Florida.

He looks like A miniature version of from NASA retired space Shuttle orbiter, with wings, deployable landing gear, And black thermal protection floor tile has shield It is belly Since THE burning heat of back to school. He measures 29 feet (about 9 meters) long, roughly A quarter of THE length of from NASA space Shuttle, And he doesn't to carry astronauts. THE X-37B has A cargo bay inside THE fuselage For payloads, with doors that open After launch And close Before landing.

THE Space Force do A surprise announcement on November 8 that THE following flight of THE X-37B, Sometimes called OTV-7, would be launch on A EspaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. All six of THE space...