The US Army X-37B space drone was successfully launched this Sunday from the base of Cape Canaveral, in Florida (United States). The Atlas V rocket took off at 9:14 am, carrying this unmanned mini-shuttle, also called the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV). "Congratulations to the sixth mission of the X-37B shuttle," Defense Minister Mark Esper tweeted shortly after the launch.
The spacecraft must deploy a small FalconSat-8 satellite that will conduct experiments in orbit for several months, said US Air Force secretary Barbara Barrett ten days ago, lifting the veil on a drone that has been kept secret until now .
Congratulations on the 6th mission of the X-37B reusable spacecraft @SpaceForceDoD @USAirForce @AF_Academy. pic.twitter.com/ENYg0FDIGR
- @EsperDoD (@EsperDoD) May 17, 2020The Pentagon remains discreet
The mission should allow to test the reactions of certain materials in space, but also to assess the effects of ambient radiation on a series of seeds, she explained. A third experiment "will transform solar radiation into radioelectric energy and will study how to transfer this energy towards the Earth", had added Barabra Barrett, who supervises the new American "Space Force".
The X-37B is nine meters long and has a wingspan of 4.5 meters. The Pentagon, which has released photos of the aircraft, has so far been very discreet about its missions and capabilities. With each new flight in space, the first of which took place in 2010, the spacecraft powered by solar panels remains for longer and longer in Earth orbit. It had completed its last flight in October 2019, after 780 days in orbit.
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