Subscribe to CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter to delve into the latest news on captivating discoveries, scientific breakthroughs, and more. Don't miss the upcoming launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Monday evening, as it carries a space plane into orbit for one of the US military's most intriguing projects in the quest to explore the universe.
The covert X-37B robotic spacecraft is scheduled to launch at 8:14 p.m. ET from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aboard a large rocket. With its blacked-out windows, the reusable space plane bears a resemblance to a miniature NASA space shuttle and is embarking on its seventh experimental mission.
Many of the X-37Bs mysterious tasks have been classified, but the US Space Force did provide a few details about the goals for this uncrewed mission.
What X-37B is doing
The United States can conduct experiments with the space plane to enhance current and future space operations and expand the limits of what is achievable, as stated by Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations for the US Space Force.
On October 14, 2022, NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Frank Rubio examines tomato plants growing inside the International Space Station for the XROOTS space botany study. The tomatoes were cultivated without soil using hydroponic and aeroponic nourishing techniques as part of a demonstration of space agricultural methods to support crews on long-term space flights beyond Earth, where resupply missions are unfeasible. Image credit: Koichi Wakata/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency/NASA.
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Included in the research on board will be a NASA experiment focused on developing methods to support astronauts during upcoming deep-space missions. Named Seeds-2, the experiment will involve exposing plant seeds to the intense radiation of extended space travels, and will expand on earlier studies conducted during X-37B missions.
The experiments conducted by the US Space Force include the operation of the reusable spaceplane in new orbital regimes, experimentation with future space domain awareness technologies, and investigation into the radiation effects on materials provided by NASA. According to the "Spacepower" publication by the US Space Force, orbital regimes are specific areas of space where different celestial bodies have the greatest gravitational influence. For example, when Earth's gravity is dominant, it is referred to as the "geocentric regime." The entire solar system is part of the "solar regime," with the sun being the primary source of gravitational pull.
The military's use of "new orbital regimes" likely refers to the X-37B's ability to be positioned in much deeper space than previous missions, possibly even reaching the "cislunar regime," which encompasses the gravitational system of Earth and the moon. It offers a powerful experience.
On November 18, 2023, spectators gathered to witness the next-generation Starship spacecraft, accompanied by the powerful Super Heavy rocket, take off from SpaceX's Boca Chica launchpad on an uncrewed test flight. The event was captured from South Padre Island, near Brownsville, Texas, U.S. in this stunning image by REUTERS/Go Nakamura. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Go Nakamura/Reuters
SpaceXs explosive test flight achieved key milestones. But there is still a long way to go
The space plane will hitch a ride on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy for the first time on Monday. After its debut in 2018, the rocket briefly held the title of the world's most powerful operational rocket. It resembles three of the company's Falcon 9 rockets strapped together, with additional thrust and power provided by the two boosters on each side.
The X-37B was previously launched using the SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle and the Atlas V rocket, both built by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
The Falcon Heavy rocket produces more thrust than both of those rockets combined.
Space technology innovations
Its not clear how long the spacecraft will spend orbiting Earth for this stint, though historically each X-37B flight has been increasingly longer than the last.
The autonomous X-37B completed its most recent journey to orbit in November 2022, with the spacecraft spending almost 909 days in space. Throughout this sixth mission, as CNN has previously covered, the space plane transported experimental technology from the US Navy aimed at harnessing solar energy and beaming it back to Earth, as revealed by military sources.
The combination of infrared observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and visible-light data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has produced a vibrant panchromatic view of galaxy cluster MACS0416. This image utilizes blue for the shortest wavelengths, green for intermediate wavelengths, and red for the longest wavelengths, showcasing a range from 0.4 to 5 microns. The resulting landscape of galaxies is a stunning and vivid display, offering one of the most colorful views of the universe to date.
New image taken by Hubble and Webb captures stunning Cosmic Christmas tree
X-37B awarded prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy in August 2020, surpassing the Hubble Space Telescope, with the James Webb Space Telescope winning the prize most recently.
Barbara Barrett, the secretary of the US Air Force, stated that the X-37B, an advanced reusable spaceplane, carries out experiments in space that are later returned to earth for further examination. The X-37B has already completed over 3,700 days in space during previous uncrewed missions.
