The US mini space shuttle, the X-37B drone, is preparing for its seventh long-duration flight. As with these previous missions, this vehicle will test a variety of experiments and return them to the ground (which is of interest), as well as perform numerous demonstrations of new technologies, some of them very innovative. It is also used to launch one or more small satellites into orbit or even recover at least one. Its flight range will certainly be expanded with new maneuvers.
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Thirteen months after its return to Earth, at the end of a sixth mission of 908 days, an X-37B is preparing to return to space for a very long mission that could potentially be more than 1,000 days in orbit. This spacecraft is scheduled to launch on December 7, 2023 aboard a SpaceX SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
A service module that expands the vehicle’s capabilities
This seventh mission, in addition to the scientific experiments it will conduct, is distinguished by its goal of “expanding the limits of the vehicle by operating in new orbital regimes,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Fritschen, program director. The expanded flight capabilities are explained by the operational use of a service module that was already tested during the previous mission. Various experiments were carried out in this module, including one on converting solar energy into microwave energy through radio frequency and another on studying spatial effects on material samples and seeds. The seventh flight plans new experiments exposing seeds and materials to space radiation.
Integrating this module will make the X-37B a more responsive, flexible experimental platform that can remain in orbit for even longer. Improvements to the vehicle’s maneuverability and flight range will enable exploration of unprecedented trajectories and orbit changes.
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A vehicle that contributes to the technological advancement of the United States
Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, head of space operations, underscored “the importance of the mission’s experimental efforts,” the common thread of which could be space radiation, and recalled the role of the X-37B “to improve current and future space operations.” These X-37B missions reflect “the United States Space Force’s commitment to innovation and redefining possibilities in space.”
Record durations in orbit that raise questions
While the X-37B’s early missions raised questions about its true nature, it is now clear that it serves primarily as an on-orbit test bed rather than as an interesting tool for military or espionage activities. Although experts are skeptical about its purely military use, they are still fascinated by the surprisingly long duration of its missions. And here perhaps lies the mystery surrounding the X-37B program: What justifies staying in orbit for so long and longer from mission to mission?
Two X-37Bs are said to be in service. Together they carried out a total of six missions:
- OTV-1, from April 22 to December 3, 2010 (224 days);
- OTV-2, from March 5, 2011 to June 16, 2012 (468 days);
- OTV-3, from December 11, 2012 to October 17, 2014 (674 days);
- OTV-4, from May 20, 2015 to May 7, 2017 (718 days);
- OTV-5, from September 7, 2017 to October 27, 2019 (780 days);
- OTV-6, from May 17, 2020 to November 12, 2022 (908 days).