The launch is expected to take place from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
SpaceX will launch into orbit for the first time a Falcon Heavy rocket carrying the US Space Force’s X-37B unmanned spaceplane. This was reported on the website of Elon Musk’s company on Sunday, December 10.
The launch is expected to take place from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Sunday, December 10, at 20.14 East Coast time (Monday at 03.14 Kiev time).
The specific missions of the X-37B are classified. The US Space Force indicates only that the purpose of the USSF-52 mission is to conduct “a wide range of tests and experiments.”
“These tests include operation in new orbital modes, experiments in space environment monitoring technologies, and research on the effects of radiation on materials for NASA,” the statement said.
This will be the seventh flight of the secret American unmanned shuttle with a cargo compartment containing equipment for testing promising technologies and conducting experiments.
The flight duration of the US Space Force spaceplane is not reported. But the previous record flight lasted 908 days, after which the X-37B shuttle successfully landed at the launch site in Florida. The first flight of the X-37B took place on April 22, 2010.
The X-37B measures 8.8 meters long and 4.5 meters wide. The spaceplane is delivered into orbit by launch vehicles and returns to Earth in airplane mode, landing at the airfield.
Let’s remember that this week SpaceX launched two batches of Starlink satellites into orbit in one day. In total, the company has completed 91 launches during the production year. This is a new record.
Source: korrespondent
I am Ben Stock, a passionate and experienced digital journalist working in the news industry. At the Buna Times, I write articles covering technology developments and related topics. I strive to provide reliable information that my readers can trust. My research skills are top-notch, as well as my ability to craft engaging stories on timely topics with clarity and accuracy.