The X-37B, the mysterious US military space drone, recently took off aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket for a research mission. This is the seventh mission for this drone, the destination of which remains secret.
After numerous delays, the Falcon Heavy rocket finally took off on Thursday, December 28 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The liftoff was broadcast live on the SpaceX website.
Despite the lack of information on the exact destination of the space drone, the Pentagon announced that this mission would feature “multiple cutting-edge experiments.” This would include exploring new orbits, testing future technologies related to space knowledge and studying the effects of radiation on materials provided by NASA.
The X-37B, which is 30 feet long with a wingspan of 15 feet, was designed for the U.S. Air Force by United Launch Alliance. Powered by solar panels, it has already carried out six missions in space, totaling more than ten years in orbit.
This launch comes a few weeks after that of the Chinese space drone Shenlong, which aims to carry out scientific experiments to support the peaceful use of space.
The X-37B remains shrouded in mystery, with little information released about its precise missions and objectives. This attracts attention and arouses the interest of science and technology enthusiasts, who wonder about the real activities of this space drone.
For space enthusiasts, this X-37B mission is therefore a captivating new chapter to follow closely, while waiting to discover what discoveries and technological advances this mission will bring.