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US Military's Secretive X-37B Spaceplane Ready For Launch To Higher Orbit

admin Dec 28, 2023 0

US Military's Secretive X-37B Spaceplane Ready For Launch To Higher Orbit

The Boeing-built vehicle resembles a miniature space shuttle (Representational)

After weeks of false starts and delays, SpaceX teams prepared again on Thursday to launch the military’s secretive X-37B robot spaceplane on its seventh mission, the first atop a rocket capable of delivering it to a higher orbit than ever before.

The SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is due for a nighttime blast-off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, on Florida’s Atlantic coast, during a 10-minute launch window starting at 8:07 p.m. EST (0107 GMT Friday).

A series of three launch countdowns were aborted earlier this month due to poor weather and unspecified technical issues, leading ground crews to roll the spacecraft back to its hangar before proceeding with the latest launch attempt.

It comes two weeks after China’s own reusable robot spaceplane, known as the Shenlong, or “Divine Dragon,” was launched on its third mission to orbit since 2020, adding a new twist to the growing US-Sino rivalry in space.

The latest weather forecast for Thursday’s flight called for an 80% chance of favorable launch conditions.

The Defense Department has disclosed few details about the X-37B mission, which is conducted by the US Space Force under the military’s National Security Space Launch program.

The Boeing-built vehicle, roughly the size of a small bus and resembling a miniature space shuttle, is intended to deploy various payloads and conduct technology experiments on long-duration orbital flights. At the end of its mission, the craft descends back through the atmosphere to land on a runway much like an airplane.

It has flown six previous missions since 2010, the first five of them carried to orbit by Atlas V rockets from United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, and most recently, in May 2020, atop a Falcon 9 booster furnished by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

The impending mission would mark the first launched aboard SpaceX’s more powerful Falcon Heavy rocket, capable of carrying payloads even heavier than the X-37B farther into space, possibly into geosynchronous orbit, more than 22,000 miles (35,000 km) above the Earth.

The X-37B, also called the Orbital Test Vehicle, has previously been confined to flights in low-Earth orbit, at altitudes below 1,200 miles (2,000 km).

‘New Orbital Regimes, And Seeds’

The Pentagon has not said how high the spaceplane would fly this time out. But in a statement last month, the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office said mission No. 7 would involve tests of “new orbital regimes, experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies.”

The X-37B also is carrying a NASA experiment to study how plant seeds are affected by prolonged exposure to the harsh environment of radiation in space. The ability to cultivate crops in space has major implications for keeping astronauts nourished during future long-term missions to the moon and Mars.

China’s equally secretive Shenlong was carried to space on Dec. 14 by a Long March 2F rocket, a launch system less powerful than SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and limited to delivering payloads to low-Earth orbit.

Still, Space Force General B. Chance Saltzman told reporters at an industry conference earlier this month that he expected China to launch Shenlong around the same time as the forthcoming X-37B flight in what he suggested was a competitive move.

“The Chinese are extremely interested in our spaceplane. We’re extremely interested in theirs,” Saltzman said in remarks published by Air & Space Forces Magazine, a US aerospace journal.

“These are two of the most watched objects on orbit while they’re on orbit. It’s probably no coincidence that they’re trying to match us in timing and sequence of this,” he said.

The planned duration of the latest X-37B mission has not been made public but presumably will run until June 2026 or later, given the prevailing pattern of successively longer flights.

The last mission remained in orbit for well over two years before a return landing in November 2022.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

"If We Have To Win Tests…": Rohit's Honest Admission After Loss To SA

admin Dec 28, 2023 0

India skipper Rohit Sharma had no qualms about admitting that his team was simply not good enough to challenge South Africa, putting the blame for the embarrassing innings and 32 run loss in the first Test on the lack of collective effort. India put up a shoddy show both with bat and ball as they were bundled out for 131 in 34.1 overs in their second innings after they allowed South Africa to score 408 in 108.4 overs in their first essay. The visitors had scored 245 in the first innings.

“We were not good enough to win. Having been put in to bat, KL (Rahul) batted well to get us that score but then we didn’t exploit the conditions with the ball and then again didn’t show up today with the bat,” said Rohit during the post-match presentation.

“If we have to win Test matches, we have to come together collectively and we didn’t do that. Guys have come here before, we know what to expect and everyone has their own plan.

“Our batters were challenged and we didn’t adapt well. This is a boundary-scoring ground, we saw them score many but we need to understand the opposition and their strengths as well. We didn’t bat well in both innnings, that’s why we stand here.”

The India skipper struggled to find much positives with the match ending inside three days.

“Not too many positives to finish the game within three days, but KL showed what we need to do on this sort of pitch,” he said.

KL Rahul had scored a century in the first innings.

“Our bowlers, a lot of these guys haven’t been here before so I don’t want to be too critical.

“Important for us to regroup, we go through these times as sportsmen and we need to be ready for the next Test now.”

Playing his last international series, Dean Elgar slammed a magnificent 185 and the opener termed it a “special” knock and highlighted his partnerships with Tony de Zorzi (28) and Marco Jansen (84).

“Pretty special knock. Sometimes what we want to do hasn’t worked out as plans, but happy that it worked today. I think you need to keep things nice and simple, the game is already pretty complex,” said the 36-year-old, who was adjudged the Player of the Match.

“Focus on the ball, play nice and straight. Play late and be great. You got to ride the roller when it is in your favour.

“Good partnerships with Tony, and then Jansen showed his talent as well. You need fast bowlers and a spinner potentially to take 20 wickets, that’s how we win Test matches.”

Proteas pace trio of Nandre Burger (4/33), Kagiso Rabada (2/32) and Marco Jansen (3/36) smothered the visitors with a disciplined attack as India folded for 131 in 34.1 overs.

“(Rabada) KG was brilliant, but then Nandre showed why he has been such a shining light for South African cricket,” Elgar said.

“You can’t win a two-Test series if you don’t win the first one, the Indians are difficult to beat.

“We’ll have a few days out to relax and enjoy this. We were pretty clinical, our fielding wasn’t the best and we didn’t make it too easy for ourselves at times.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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