{"id":12489,"date":"2020-05-07T01:24:30","date_gmt":"2020-05-06T17:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/payloads-revealed-for-next-flight-of-x-37b-military-spaceplane\/"},"modified":"2020-05-07T01:24:30","modified_gmt":"2020-05-06T17:24:30","slug":"payloads-revealed-for-next-flight-of-x-37b-military-spaceplane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/payloads-revealed-for-next-flight-of-x-37b-military-spaceplane\/","title":{"rendered":"Payloads revealed for next flight of X-37B military spaceplane"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
The X-37B spacecraft is encapsulated inside the Atlas 5 rocket\u2019s payload fairing inside a processing facility at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: U.S. Space Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The next flight of the U.S. military\u2019s reusable X-37B spaceplane \u2014 scheduled for liftoff May 16 from Cape Canaveral \u2014 will carry more experiments into orbit than any of the winged ship\u2019s previous missions, including two payloads for NASA and a small deployable satellite built by Air Force Academy cadets.<\/p>\n

Military officials announced new details about the upcoming X-37B mission Wednesday, and confirmed its target launch date of May 16. The Boeing-built spaceplane was mounted on top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket Tuesday inside the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral\u2019s Complex 41 launch pad.<\/p>\n

The unpiloted spacecraft launches inside a payload shroud on top of a conventional rocket, unfurls a power-generating solar array in orbit to generate electricity, and returns to Earth for a runway landing like NASA\u2019s retired space shuttle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis sixth mission is a big step for the X-37B program,\u201d said Randy Walden, director and program executive officer for the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. \u201cThis will be the first X-37B mission to use a service module to host experiments. The incorporation of a service module on this mission enables us to continue to expand the capabilities of the spacecraft and host more experiments than any of the previous missions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The service module is attached to the aft end of the X-37B spaceplane, providing additional capacity for experiments and payloads. The X-37B itself, measuring more than 29 feet (8.9 meters) long, also has a cargo bay inside its fuselage.<\/p>\n

Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett said Wednesday that the Air Force\u2019s Rapid Capabilities Office is partnering with the U.S. Space force and the Air Force Research Laboratory on the next X-37B mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn today\u2019s age of electrons, space systems track storms, locate stranded motorists, timestamp credit card transactions, and monitor treaty compliance,\u201d Barrett in a statement. \u201cDemonstrating the department\u2019s innovation, this X-37B mission will host more experiments than any prior missions. This launch also demonstrates the department\u2019s collaboration that pushes the boundaries for reusable space systems.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barrett said the sixth upcoming flight \u201cmaximizes the X-37B\u2019s unique capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis important mission will host more experiments than any prior X-37B flight, including two NASA experiments,\u201d Barrett said Wednesday. \u201cOne is a sample plate evaluating the reaction of select significant materials to the conditions in space. The second studies the effect of ambient space radiation on seeds.\u201d<\/p>\n

The X-37B also carries a space-based solar power experiment.<\/p>\n

\u201cA third experiment designed by the Naval Research Laboratory transforms solar power into radio frequency microwave energy, then studies transmitting that energy to Earth,\u201d Barrett said.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Inside a former space shuttle processing facility at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center, the U.S. Air Force\u2019s X-37B spaceplane is prepared for encapsulation inside the nose shroud of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket. Credit: U.S. Space Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once in orbit, the X-37B will also release a small satellite named FalconSat 8. Developed by Air Force Academy cadets in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory, the small satellite carries five experimental payloads. It will be operated by by the Air Force Academy\u2019s Cadet Space Operations Squadron.<\/p>\n

In a statement Wednesday, the Air Force said it \u201ccontinues to push the flight envelope for the X-37B, and will build upon its growing collaboration with experiment partners with its sixth mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barrett said Wednesday the Air Force is declassifying some of the service\u2019s space activities. The X-37B, which Barrett said was \u201cpreviously cloaked in secrecy,\u201d has logged 2,865 days in orbit on five previous missions.<\/p>\n

The X-37B, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, remains an Air Force asset, officials said. The newly-established Space Force is responsible for the launch, on-orbit operations and landing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ability to test new systems in space and return them to Earth is unique to the X-37B program and enables the U.S. to more efficiently and effectively develop space capabilities necessary to maintain superiority in the space domain,\u201d the Air Force said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Boeing has built two X-37B vehicles for orbital flights. The program began under NASA management before transferring to DARPA in 2004, then to the Air Force in 2006.<\/p>\n

The first X-37B space mission launched in April 2010. Four of the previous X-37B flights have launched on ULA Atlas 5 rockets, and one lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher.<\/p>\n

The sixth X-37B mission will fly on a version of ULA\u2019s Atlas 5 rocket without any strap-on solid rocket boosters and a 17.7-foot-diameter (5.4-meter) payload fairing.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The reusable X-37B spaceplane is prepared for encapsulation inside the payload fairing of an Atlas 5 rocket ahead of a launch scheduled for May 16. Credit: U.S. Space Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cTechnologies being tested in the program include advanced guidance, navigation and control, thermal protection systems, avionics, high temperature structures and seals, conformal reusable insulation, lightweight electromechanical flight systems, advanced propulsion systems, advanced materials and autonomous orbital flight, reentry and landing,\u201d Air Force officials wrote in an X-37B fact sheet.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe X-37B team continues to exemplify the kind of lean, agile and forward-leaning technology development we need as a nation in the space domain,\u201d said Gen. John \u201cJay\u201d Raymond, the Space Force\u2019s Chief of Space Operations. \u201cEach launch represents a significant milestone and advancement in terms of how we build, test, and deploy space capabilities in a rapid and responsive manner.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fifth X-37B mission concluded with a landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Boeing and military teams ready the reusable spaceplanes inside a former space shuttle processing facility at Kennedy.<\/p>\n

Email the author.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The X-37B spacecraft is encapsulated inside the Atlas 5 rocket\u2019s payload fairing inside a processing facility at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: U.S. Space Force The next flight of the U.S. military\u2019s reusable X-37B spaceplane \u2014 scheduled for liftoff May 16 from Cape Canaveral \u2014 will carry more experiments into orbit than any […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[724,2219,670,1708,2220,2150,25,257],"class_list":["post-12489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-atlas-5","tag-av-081","tag-boeing","tag-complex-41","tag-falconsat-8","tag-jay-raymond","tag-launch","tag-military-space"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12489"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12489"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12489\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}