US Air Force launches next secret mission of X-37B

David Taft for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

Yesterday marks the 4th launch of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, or OTV. An Atlas V rocket developed by Lockheed Martin carried the craft into orbit at 11:05 a.m. EDT (1505 GMT) from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

[Video of the Launch]

Officials have stated that both the Kennedy Space Center and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California are possible landing sites for the X-37B. The launch was conducted by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture formed by Lockheed Martin and Boeing to provide heavy-lift services to the United States government.

The X-37B was designed following the close of the Space Shuttle program as the U.S. government sought a way to solve the disparity between the expense of manned missions in reusable spacecraft and the waste of payload loss when disposable designs burn up on re-entry. With both a profile that fits comfortably in the payload bay atop an Atlas or similar disposable orbital lift booster and a design that allows a payload to be returned through atmospheric re-entry, the X-37B fills the role perfectly.

Featuring a narrow delta-wing as the main airfoil, the X-37B is able to maintain a stable flight path even at hypersonic speeds. The V-tail design of the craft reduces drag and stress on the aircraft during reentry. The vehicle is 29 feet long and stands 9.5 feet tall, and has a 15 foot wingspan.

Record-holder

Despite the aerodynamic properties of its profile, the main factor that makes the X-37B is unique is the onboard autopilot. These avionics allow the spacecraft to manage its re-entry heading, fly in atmosphere, and make a safe horizontal landing on a conventional airstrip.

This greatly reduces both the operational cost and the risk to human personnel by not requiring pilots to be present inside the craft. In fact, all three of the X-37B’s previous missions have landed autonomously using the craft’s autopilot computers on standard runways at Vandenberg Air Force Base. This capability eliminates the need to fund and perform the recovery operations required for other reusable spacecraft that employ water landings at sea or parachute landings in remote areas.

In addition to being only the second unmanned reusable spacecraft to operate and land autonomously after the Russian Buran, the X-37B also holds the title of longest mission duration outside of atmosphere for a reusable spacecraft. This record 674 day flight began in December of 2012 and landed successfully in October of last year. Collectively, the two X-37B OTVs have logged 1,367 days in space.

The contents of the 7 by 4 ft. payload bay of the X-37B that launched on May 20th are to remain undisclosed at the discretion of the United States Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office, which is conducting the launch. While some have raised concerns about the military applications of an orbital vehicle such as the X-37B, the Air Force insists that the vehicle serves primarily as an extra-atmospheric testbed for new technology to improve reusable spacecraft designs of the future.

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