That enigmatic U.S. military X-37B robotic space drone has actually now chalked up more than 500 days circling the Earth.The Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-6) is likewise called USSF-7 for the U.S. Space Force and introduced May 17, 2020, on an Atlas V 501 booster.OTV-6 is the first to use a service module to host experiments. The service module is an attachment to the aft of the vehicle that permits additional experimental payload capability to be carried to orbit.Related: The US Space Forces deceptive X-37B space plane: 10 surprising factsPrimary agenda: classifiedWhile the Boeing-built robotic area airplanes on-orbit main program is classified, some of its onboard experiments were identified pre-launch. One experiment onboard the space airplane is from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), an investigation into changing solar power into radio frequency microwave energy. The experiment itself is called the Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module, PRAM for short.The U.S. Air Forces robotic X-37B area plane is shown here in a 2009 image at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. (Image credit: U.S. Air Force)Along with toting NRLs PRAM into Earth orbit, the X-37B likewise deployed the FalconSat-8, a small satellite developed by the U.S. Air Force Academy and sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory to conduct several experiments on orbit.In addition, two NASA experiments are also onboard the space aircraft to study the effects of the area environment on a materials sample plate and seeds utilized to grow food.Technicians tend Air Force X-37B space plane after tarmac goal. (Image credit: U.S. Air Force)Previous flightsOTV-1: released on April 22, 2010 and arrived at Dec. 3, 2010, spending over 224 days on orbit.OTV-2: released on March 5, 2011 and arrived at June 16, 2012, spending over 468 days on orbit.OTV-3: released on Dec. 11, 2012 and arrived on Oct. 17, 2014, spending over 674 days on-orbit. OTV-4: launched on May 20, 2015 and arrived at May 7, 2015, investing nearly 718 days on-orbit. OTV-5: launched on Sept. 7, 2017 and arrived on Oct. 27, 2019, spending almost 780 days on-orbit. OTV-2, otv-1, and otv-3 missions landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, while the OTV-4 and OTV-5 missions landed at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.There is no word on when and where OTV-6 will go back to Earth.According to a Boeing fact sheet, “the X-37B is one of the worlds newest and most innovative re-entry spacecraft, designed to operate in low-earth orbit, 150 to 500 miles above the Earth. The lorry is the very first considering that the space shuttle with the capability to return experiments to Earth for additional examination and analysis. This United States Air Force unmanned area automobile checks out reusable automobile technologies that support long-term space objectives.”Delta 9The X-37B program is flown under the wing of a U.S. Space Force unit called Delta 9, developed and activated July 24, 2020.”Delta 9 Detachment 1 oversees operations of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, a speculative program designed to demonstrate innovations for a trusted, multiple-use, unmanned space test platform for the U.S. Space Force,” according to a truth sheet issued by Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado.”The mission of Delta 9 is to prepare, present, and job assigned and attached forces for the purpose of carrying out safeguard and defend operations and providing nationwide choice authorities with response alternatives to hinder and, when essential, beat orbital hazards,” the reality sheet describes. “Additionally, Delta 9 supports Space Domain Awareness by performing space-based battlespace characterization operations and also carries out on-orbit experimentation and technology demonstrations for the U.S. Space Force.”Leonard David is author of the book “Moon Rush: The New Space Race,” published by National Geographic in May 2019. A longtime writer for Space.com, David has been reporting on the area industry for more than 5 years. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. This version of the story was published on Space.com.
The service module is an accessory to the aft of the vehicle that allows extra experimental payload capability to be carried to orbit.Related: The US Space Forces deceptive X-37B space plane: 10 unexpected factsPrimary agenda: classifiedWhile the Boeing-built robotic space airplanes on-orbit main program is categorized, some of its onboard experiments were identified pre-launch. (Image credit: U.S. Air Force)Along with carrying NRLs PRAM into Earth orbit, the X-37B also deployed the FalconSat-8, a small satellite developed by the U.S. Air Force Academy and sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory to perform a number of experiments on orbit.In addition, two NASA experiments are also onboard the space airplane to study the results of the area environment on a products sample plate and seeds utilized to grow food.Technicians tend Air Force X-37B space aircraft after tarmac touchdown.”Delta 9 Detachment 1 supervises operations of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, an experimental program developed to show innovations for a dependable, recyclable, unmanned space test platform for the U.S. Space Force,” according to a truth sheet issued by Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado.