2023-12-29 11:25:07
The U.S. military space drone X-37B was launched on the evening of the 28th local time on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch vehicle from Florida, USA, on its seventh mission. Falcon Heavy can carry the X-37B to higher orbits.
On the evening of the 28th local time, Falcon Heavy was launched from the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA. The Falcon Heavy was equipped with the X -37B military drone.
The X-37B, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, is about the size of a small bus and has carried out six space missions since its first flight in 2010. The X-37B needs to be lifted off by a rocket or released at high altitude by a large aircraft. It can then enter low-Earth orbit with its own power system and continue to fly for more than a year. The X37-B is a reusable aircraft. Its blunt nose can help the X-37B decelerate faster during the return trip, and then it can glide to the runway and land like an ordinary aircraft. It can also automatically return to the ground when the mission is completed. According to reports from Hong Kong and Taiwan, the X-37B’s previous missions were only cruising in low-Earth orbit within 2,000 kilometers.
The U.S. military rarely discloses the details of the X-37B’s mission, which is generally carried out by the U.S. Space Force under the military’s National Security Space Launch program. News indicates that the X-37B will return to Earth as soon as June 2026. It was reported that China had also test-launched its Shenlong spacecraft two weeks ago, highlighting the intensification of the space race between the United States and China.
Pictures and data sources:RTHK、RTI
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