US military’s mystery space plane rockets back into orbit May 18, 2020 | No Comments | International, United States
1 of 6 The U.S. military’s mystery space plane rocketed into orbit again Sunday, this time with an extra load of science experiments. It’s the sixth flight of an X-37B, a solar-powered plane that’s flown by remote control without a crew. Officials aren’t saying how long the spacecraft will remain in orbit this time or the purpose of the mission.Image Credit: AP 2 of 6 But a senior vice president for X-37B developer Boeing, Jim Chilton, noted each mission has been progressively longer. The previous mission lasted a record two years, with a touchdown shrouded in darkness at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center last year. The winged spacecraft resembles NASA’s old shuttles, but is just one-quarter the size at 29 feet (9 meters) long.Image Credit: AP 3 of 6 The one just launched features an extra compartment for experiments, including several for NASA and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, making it the biggest science load yet for an X-37B. The Air Force has two of these reusable space planes. Their home base is a former space shuttle hangar at Kennedy. “You could say that the X-37B stands on the shoulders of the space shuttle,” Chilton said. “From a common shape to a common home.”Image Credit: AP 4 of 6 Since the first flight in 2010, the secretive space planes had logged a combined 2,865 days in orbit as of Sunday. “If you add up all the missions, just under eight years in orbit and 1 billion miles, so a lot of traveling by this machine,” Chilton said during the launch broadcast. Delayed a day by bad weather, this marked just the second rocket launch for the newly established Space Force.Image Credit: AP 5 of 6 In March, it hoisted a national security satellite. United Launch Alliance, which provided the Atlas V rocket, declared success 1 1/2 hours after liftoff. It dedicated Sunday’s launch to the health care workers and others who are working on the front lines of the pandemic. The company said it followed health advice for the launch. Many of the flight controllers wore masks and were spread out. Precautions were less evident along area causeways, where spectators parked to watch the Atlas soar.Image Credit: AP 6 of 6 Thick, low clouds spoiled the show. The Cape Canaveral Air Force Station has an exceptionally fast turnaround for its next launch. Before dawn Tuesday, SpaceX will attempt to launch another batch of its Starlink satellites for global internet service. It will be SpaceX’s last flight before its first astronaut launch, scheduled for May 27 from next-door Kennedy Space Center. Tags: International, U.S Previous Post Dubai 22K gold price touches Dh200 a gram for first time in nine years Next Post Cafes and churches open in Italy and Greece; Spain eyes summer reboot Related Article Uncategorized February 24, 2023 | No Comments At G20 Meeting, U.S. Accuses Russian Finance Officials Of Complicity in War Market February 6, 2023 | No Comments Oil Prices Creep Higher As IEA Flags Chinese Demand Recovery Economy January 19, 2023 | No Comments Asia FX Weakens On recession Wo Yen Supported By Yield Cap Bets Economy January 9, 2023 | No Comments Asia FX Rallies on China Reopening, Yuan at Over 4-Mth High International May 18, 2022 | No Comments Early trade saw oil prices rise on expectations of a revival in Chinese demand International April 21, 2022 | No Comments India to provide additional $500-mn assistance to Sri Lanka for fuel Coronavirus News October 30, 2020 | No Comments अमेरिका में फिर कोरोना का ‘कहर’, एक दिन में रिकॉर्ड 90,000 से ज्यादा नए COVID-19 मामले Covid19 May 19, 2020 | No Comments Cafes and churches open in Italy and Greece; Spain eyes summer reboot 0 Comments Leave a Comment Cancel reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
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