The recent launch of the U.S. military’s secretive X-37B space plane marks a significant advancement in space exploration and technology. On December 28, 2023, the X-37B, a robotic spaceplane resembling a miniature space shuttle, embarked on its seventh mission from Florida. This launch was notably the first to utilize the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, which is capable of reaching higher orbits than previous missions.
The Falcon Heavy, characterized by its three rocket cores, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, marking an end to over two weeks of delays due to weather and technical issues. This mission’s significance lies not just in its use of the Falcon Heavy rocket but also in its potential to reach new orbital heights. Previously confined to low-Earth orbits below 1,200 miles, the X-37B may now explore highly elliptical orbits or even regions near the moon.
The X-37B, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, carries out long-duration orbital flights to deploy various payloads and conduct technology experiments. Notably, it is involved in a NASA experiment to study the effects of space radiation on plant seeds, an inquiry with far-reaching implications for future space missions to the moon and Mars.
This secretive mission, managed by the U.S. Space Force under the National Security Space Launch program, adds a new dimension to the U.S.-China space rivalry. The timing of the X-37B launch closely followed China’s launch of its own robot spaceplane, the Shenlong, or “Divine Dragon.” Such simultaneous activities underscore the competitive nature of space exploration and highlight the strategic importance of these missions.
The duration of the X-37B’s current mission is not publicly disclosed, but it is expected to last until at least June 2026, following the trend of increasingly lengthy missions.