ULA plans to launch experimental spaceplane
An experimental spaceplane about one fourth the size of the space shuttle will launch from Cape Canaveral on Saturday on a mission for the U.S. Space Force.
It’s been three years since the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, a spaceplane designed by Boeing to fly to low-Earth orbit, has launched from the Space Coast. This mission will be its sixth — the program has been launching since 2010 to test technologies on an uncrewed test vehicle that is reliable, resuable and can test experiments on long-duration missions and bring them back to Earth.
The mission is scheduled to take off Saturday morning from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s launchpad 41 with the help of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with a reported launch window of 8:24 a.m. to 10:53 a.m.
The X-37B’s flights test a host of variables, including avionics, propulsion systems, autonomous flight on orbit and reentry and landing. Like in the days of the space shuttle, the X-37B plane has landed back at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility at the completion of its past two missions.
The flight, for the newly formed U.S. Space Force, is moving forward along with other launches scheduled during the pandemic. Companies like ULA and SpaceX that have government contracts have been deemed essential, and operations are continuing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center for missioncritical projects only.
“Conducting the USSF-7 launch with the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle was deemed critical to perform during this national emergency,” ULA said in a statement. “Personnel involved in the launch are following health guidelines such as wearing face coverings, adhering to physical distancing while on console and using virtual connections when possible.”
The X-37B has flown on an Atlas V in four of its previous launches, including its maiden 2010 launch. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the fifth mission in 2017.
The vehicle is billed as being capable of staying in orbit up to 270 days but has broken that record several times.