Space & Cosmos

Space Force’s X-37B performs ‘unprecedented maneuver’ in orbit

An X-37B orbital test vehicle travels down the flight line at the AstroTech facility on March 30, 2010 in Titusville, Florida. Credit: USAF

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) has been shrouded in mystery since its first flight in 2011. Designed by Boeing and operated by the United States Space Force (USSF), this remotely operated, reusable space plane is designed to operate in low-temperature environments. Earth orbit (LEO) is located 240 to 800 km (150 to 500 miles) above the Earth and tests reusable vehicle technologies that support long-term space goals.

The X-37B will reportedly begin its seventh mission (OTV-7) on December 29, 2023, conducting experiments on the effects of cosmic radiation and testing Space Domain Awareness (SDA) technology.

As part of this mission, the X-37B will soon begin performing a series of new maneuvers to alter its orbit around the Earth. These maneuvers consist of the spacecraft skimming Earth’s upper atmosphere to slow it down and lower its orbit without expending much fuel. This is a technique known as “aerobraking.”

This is the first time the X-37B has performed such a maneuver and will help it avoid detection by potentially hostile nations and fly low over Earth undetected during future missions. .

This latest operation leverages decades of lessons learned from six successful LEO missions and missions to the Moon and Mars, according to a USSF statement. In 1997, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) orbiter used solar panels as “wings” to control its passage through Mars’ tenuous upper atmosphere, lowering its orbit over several months. Ta.

More recently, aerobrakes have been used on Mars Odyssey in 2001, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2006, and ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter in 2017-2018.

“This series of novel and efficient operations demonstrates the Space Force’s commitment to achieving breakthrough innovations in accomplishing national security missions in space,” said Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. Ta.

“This first X-37B maneuver is a critical milestone for the U.S. Space Force as we seek to expand our suitability and capabilities to perform in this challenging domain,” added Gen. John Johnson, Director of Space Operations. . Chance Saltzman. “This success is a testament to the dedication and perseverance of our team.”

Outside of these experiments, little is known about the X-37B’s capabilities and purpose. However, at the 2019 Aspen Security Forum, former US Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson explained how the X-37B’s capabilities allow it to evade detection, saying:

“(The X-37B) is attractive because it can do an egg-like trajectory and when it gets close to Earth, it can get close enough to the atmosphere to turn in place. That means the enemy doesn’t turn. ”And we know that it happens on the other side of the world from the perspective of our enemies and it drives them crazy. ”

Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said in an interview with Military.com at the time:

“(Wilson’s comments) could shed light on previously secret orbit-related capabilities. Atmospheric entry changes the timing of the next overhead arrival. The predictions are off and (they) have to.” Just changing the timing requires more work than just being able to use existing trajectory predictions. ”

Once the aerobrake operation is complete, the X-37B will resume operations until testing and experimentation are complete. As the USSF indicated before the launch of the OTV-7 mission, these tests include operating in new orbital regimes, experimenting with future SDA technology, investigating the effects of radiation on plant seeds provided by NASA, This includes the “Seeds-2” experiment.

The spacecraft will also eject some of its service module components in accordance with accepted standards for space debris mitigation. At this point, the vehicle will deorbit and return to Earth, as it did on the previous six missions.

Provided by Universe Today

Citation: Space Force’s X-37B performs ‘never-before-seen maneuver’ in orbit (October 16, 2024) https://phys.org/news/2024-10-space Retrieved October 16, 2024 from -37b-maneuvers-orbit.html

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