Pentagon’s mysterious unmanned shuttle X-37B is preparing to return to space again. Elon Musk also stepped in for the mysterious unmanned spacecraft that will be on its seventh mission. Accordingly, SpaceX will launch the spacecraft with Falcon Heavy. In this sense, the spacecraft will operate again after a year. But what kind of mission does the Pentagon unmanned space shuttle have?
Mysterious Pentagon unmanned space shuttle heads back into space aboard Falcon Heavy
In recent years, SpaceX has emerged with titles such as agreements with NASA and being the first private company to carry astronauts to the ISS. However, the X-37B unmanned space shuttle, which the Pentagon has been using for more than a decade and has kept its mission a secret, is entrusted to SpaceX.
However, this is not the first time SpaceX has performed this mission. He previously took part in a launch with the Falcon 9 rocket in 2018. However, the Pentagon will use a heavy-lift launch rocket for the first time for the mysterious X-37B shuttle.
X-37B
The mysterious unmanned space shuttle X-37B resembles a miniature space shuttle in appearance. The shuttle, which previously operated at the borders of space, can now be positioned at a much more distant target. According to experts, there can be no other meaning in using a powerful rocket such as Falcon Heavy that launches a space shuttle.
The US Space Force, or Space Force, made a statement about the mission. Accordingly, the Pentagon explains the purpose of the flight, called OTV-7, as follows:
“Conducting experiments with space domain awareness technologies and investigating radiation effects on NASA materials.”
“Space awareness technologies” included in this mission statement created controversy. In this sense, it is among the theories that the USA will examine the activities of other countries’ satellites. What is meant by NASA materials was explained as how plants would react during long-term space flights. The project called NASA Seeds-2 is also important in terms of future scenarios such as space colonization.
The launch for the space shuttle returning to Earth in November 2022 was scheduled for today. However, due to adverse weather conditions, the launch has been postponed until tomorrow. It is unknown how long the unmanned space shuttle, which spent 908 days in space on its last mission, will stay in space on its new mission.
In fact, although the orbit for the mysterious space shuttle has not been announced, amateur space explorers have managed to detect the vehicle many times. However, although the X-37B has been in service for 17 years, Boeing has designed two separate vehicles so far. In other words, two different vehicles, although of the same structure, took part in these missions. However, Boeing’s spacecraft, which was thought to be able to stay in space for 270 days in the first mission, exceeded this period many times. In the last mission, he broke a record in this regard and managed to stay in space for over 900 days.
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