The mysterious X-37B space plane of the United States Air Force will soon be returning to low orbit on its sixth mission. For the first five orbital tests, the nature of the missions undertaken by the X-37B has been kept secret. But this time around, the US government is letting us know why the X-37B will fly out to space again on May 16. Let's see what this enigmatic space plane is up to.

A Phantom Space Plane

The so-called X-37 program actually commenced in 1999 with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) planning to build an Approach and Landing Test Vehicle and an Orbital Vehicle. In 2004, the project was transferred to the U.S. military through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). NASA’s planned Orbital Vehicle was never constructed, but it paved the way for the X-37B space plane.

Built by Boeing's Phantom Works division, the X-37B is an asset of Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. So far, two X-37Bs have flown five missions, the latest of which (Orbital Test Vehicle 5 or (OTV-5) was launched in September 2017 employing a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It returned to the ground in October 2019.

Sixth Mission Objectives Revealed

X-37B quarter front
Via Boeing

Now, the U.S. Air Force has partnered with the U.S. Space Force to launch the sixth mission of the X-37B (OTV-6). It will be the first mission to employ a service module to host experiments, thereby expanding X-37B’s capabilities and allowing it to host more experiments than previous missions.

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As part of its missions, OTV-6 will bring into low Earth orbit a small satellite called FalconSat-8, which is designed to carry five experimental payloads. NASA, meanwhile, will study the results of cosmic radiation and other space effects on plants seeds and on materials samples. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory will conduct an experiment to transform solar power into radio frequency microwave energy that could be beamed to the ground.

Secret Tests Included?

X-37B launch
Via Boeing

Just like the first five missions, OTV-6 will be launched to space on a United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket on May 16 between 12:00 noon and 2:30 PM (UTC) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The U.S. Space Force will take care of the launch, on-orbit operations and landing of the OTV-6.

Enigmatic as it has been, the OTV-6 might carry out more experiments than announced. Some of these would be heavily classified as the U.S. continues to test its military space technology.

Source: Space News

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