Secret mission. Under the fairing of SpaceX rockets, the USA launched a secret cargo into space

On the night from Thursday to Friday, SpaceX’s super-heavy Falcon Heavy rocket took off from the John F. Kennedy Spaceport in Florida. Under the rocket’s powerful fairing there was a very unusual payload – the X-37B, a secret shuttle, or perhaps rather a space plane designed for the American military.

X-37B – The Pentagon and NASA are testing a new “shuttle” in space

The launch took place without any problems, and the Falcon Heavy rocket, tested for the first time by SpaceX in 2018, carried the payload into Earth’s orbit. This was the ninth launch (all successful) of a powerful rocket equipped with two characteristic boosters on the sides, which were actually Falcon 9 rockets.

Much more interesting, however, is what was under the fairing of the giant, the X-37B. The secret plane has been designed for the US Air Force for nearly two decades, and Friday’s launch marked the beginning of its seventh stay in orbit. For the first time, the Americans launched a prototype of the machine in 2010. This flight – like the previous ones – is unmanned.

However, not much is known about the X-37B. The machine is the size of a small school bus (9 meters long), has small wings and stabilizers, but is carried into orbit by a launch vehicle such as the Falcon Heavy. It looks like a space shuttle and is said to be able to stay in space for up to several years. It returns on its own, using lift power, and lands at the airport just like traditional NASA shuttles did years ago.

It will spend up to over two years in space. Targets unknown

So far, the longest X-37B mission lasted two and a half years and ended with an autonomous landing on the runway at Cape Canaveral. For this reason, NASA uses X-37B flights for its research, testing the long-term impact of cosmic radiation, among others. on plants or their seeds. Although the Pentagon provides the dates of subsequent launches (but not landings) of the machine, the specific goals of subsequent missions and the level of advancement of the work are, of course, top secret.

Traditionally, it has not been stated how long the X-37B mission that has just started will last. that – according to experts – it should end in June 2026 at the earliest. The Pentagon is reportedly gradually extending subsequent visits of the X-37B to orbit. No information has been provided about the orbit in which the new “shuttle” will be placed, but it should probably reach an altitude of 240 to 800 kilometers above the surface of our planet.

Interestingly, just two weeks ago, China launched its own Shenlong mini shuttle into orbit, about which even less is known. It is believed to be China’s answer to the American X-37B and another field where these two military and space powers will compete in the near future.