Aviation giant SpaceX is ready for a new mission. Now Elon Musk’s company will be launched on Tuesday evening Secret orbital plane X-37B Of the United States Air Forces and Space Forces, on board a Falcon Heavy rocket, the most powerful rocket in operation, at least until the spacecraft is ready and takes place.
Take off It was set for 2.24 Spanish Peninsula time From NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This launch, which was scheduled to take place at dawn on Monday, December 11 in Spain, was postponed “due to a problem on the ground,” which could indicate a setback in the rocket’s launch pad or fuel systems, SpaceX said via X – formerly Twitter -.
But everything indicates that this new take-off date will not be postponed, but will in fact be satisfactory. SpaceX indicated to X that “the weather is 85% suitable,” in addition to indicating that the mission will be broadcast 15 minutes before takeoff on the company’s website.
What tasks does the X-37B perform?
The reusable spaceplane, which resembles a miniature NASA space shuttle with tinted windows, is ready for takeoff. Seventh experimental task. Although the X-37B’s missions are generally ClassifyOn this occasion, the American Special Forces detailed some of their work.
For example, the spaceplane allows the United States to conduct experiments to better understand how to improve current and future space operations, as well as “expand the boundaries of what is possible,” according to a statement from General P. Chance. Saltzman, chief of space operations for the US Space Force.
Among the research that will be conducted on board the spacecraft is a NASA experiment that aims to find new ways to support astronauts on future deep space missions. Under the name Seeds-2“It will expose plant seeds to the harsh radiation environment of long-duration spaceflight” and will build on previous research conducted on X-37B missions.
Experiments also include “operating the reusable spaceplane in new orbital systems, experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies, and investigating the effects of radiation on materials provided by NASA.” According to the US Space Force.
The launch will mark the first time the spaceplane has flown on a SpaceX vehicle Falcon Heavy, which was briefly the world’s most powerful operational rocket after its debut in 2018, but it won’t be the ship’s first time in space. Right now, the X-37B is accumulating a total 3,774 days in space since its first launch in April 2010. In previous missions, the drone has helped test photovoltaic and terrestrial power transmission technologies, study the effects of space exposure on organic materials, and launch other small Air Force spacecraft.
As for the Falcon Heavy, the rocket ship has flown eight times so far, including four launches this year. Its last mission was in October, when it launched NASA’s Psyche probe on a mission to the asteroid of the same name.
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