The Mysterious X-37B Space Plane Sets Off On Another Secretive Mission
The U.S. military's enigmatic X-37B space plane embarked on its latest covert endeavor on Thursday, anticipated to persist for a span of a couple of years.
As in previous missions, this reusable aircraft, bearing an uncanny resemblance to a miniature version of a space shuttle, carried undisclosed experiments. Curiously, it carried no human occupants.
Taking flight aboard SpaceX's powerful Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at night, the launch had been delayed by over two weeks due to technical setbacks.
This signifies the seventh voyage for the X-37B, accumulating over a decade spent in orbit since its initial launch in 2010.
Remarkably, its last expedition currently holds the record as the longest trip thus far, enduring 2 and a half years before concluding with a successful landing on Kennedy's runway precisely one year ago.
While the Space Force officials prefer not to divulge specific details, it is confirmed that included in this orbital test vehicle is a NASA experiment focused on assessing the effects of radiation on various materials.
Constructed by Boeing, the X-37B strongly resembles NASA's retired space shuttles, albeit being only a quarter of their size - measuring 29 feet in length. Eliminating the requirement for astronauts, this autonomous aircraft possesses a revolutionary landing system.
Lifting off vertically akin to rockets while smoothly descending horizontally similar to regular planes, these extraordinary vehicles are designed to navigate orbits ranging from 150 miles to 500 miles above Earth's surface. Currently, two X-37Bs find their home within a former shuttle hangar at Kennedy.
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