Watch Live: SpaceX Launches Mysterious X-37B Spaceplane Into Orbit
The US Space Force's Boeing X-37B unmanned, reusable space plane will be launched atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Sunday evening.
The mysterious spaceplane is built by Boeing and operated by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office and the Space Force. Its last mission ended a little over a year ago after spending 2.5 years in low-Earth orbit.
"The X-37B continues to equip the United States with the knowledge to enhance current and future space operations," Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman said in a statement.
Saltzman continued: "X-37B Mission 7 demonstrates the USSF's commitment to innovation and defining the art-of-the-possible in the space domain."
With each successive top-secret mission, the X-37B spends long and longer time in orbit:
- OTV-1: launched on Apr. 22, 2010 and landed on Dec. 3, 2010, spending over 224 days in orbit.
- OTV-2: launched on Mar. 5, 2011 and landed on Jun. 16, 2012, spending over 468 days in orbit.
- OTV-3: launched on Dec. 11, 2012 and landed on Oct. 17, 2014, spending over 674 days in orbit.
- OTV-4: launched on May 20, 2015 and landed on May 7, 2015, spending nearly 718 days in orbit.
- OTV-5: launched on Sept. 7, 2017 and landed on Oct. 27, 2019, spending nearly 780 days in orbit.
- OTV-6: launched on May 17, 2020 and landed on Nov. 12, 2022, spending over 908 days in orbit.
The liftoff window begins at 8:14 p.m. EST (0114 GMT) at Launch Complex-39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Democrats are furious with all of Elon Musk's space accomplishments.
SpaceX is tracking to launch over 80% of all Earth payload to orbit this year pic.twitter.com/DMf5tpG0kI
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 6, 2023
Even Jeff Bezos had to hire Musk for rocket launches.
