The U.S. Space Force’s mysterious X-37B space plane is about to fly for the seventh time.
In order to prepare for the mission on Dec. 10, the Space Force and SpaceX “are making last preparations” for the planned Sunday night launch of the robotic X-37B, Space Force officials said in an emailed update today. The X-37B is scheduled to take off atop a Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. You’ll be able to watch the action live here at Space.com if SpaceX webcasts the launch as expected.
The Space Force is believed to have two of these planes, both of which were built by Boeing. The space planes resemble NASA’s old space shuttle orbiters, although much smaller in size. The X-37Bs have flown a total of six missions to date. The most recent mission, OTV-6 (Orbital Test Vehicle-6), touched down in November 2022 after circling Earth for 908 days.
It’s uncertain how long the coming flight, OTV-7, will last; the Space Force releases few details about X-37B missions, as most of their payloads are classified. The X-37B also carries some civilian research freight. Stay updated by joining our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.autorelease.
