X-37B area aircraft encapsulated ahead of its 6th objective. (Image credit: U.S. Air Force)
Exciting News!
The U.S. Space Force recently announced a hold-up in the upcoming launch of its elusive X-37B area airplane. The objective, designated USSF-52, was originally planned for Dec. 7th, but has now been pushed back to Dec. 10th.
X-37B will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The date change was attributed to moving launch schedules and availability at Launch Complex-39A (LC-39A), according to a Space Force statement.
“We partner closely with our launch provider, and the whole team is focused on executing a successful mission,” said Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, of Space Launch Delta 45, in a Space Systems Command (SSC) email.
The Dec. 10th liftoff of USSF-52 will take place from KSC’s LC-39A, during an unspecified launch window. The SSC email mentioned that these details will be released “as the launch date approaches.”
United States Space Force Prepares X-37B for Launch. (Image credit: U.S. Space Force)
This will be the reusable space aircraft’s first launch on a Falcon Heavy rocket, which is a significant development for its secretive mission. Previously, five of X-37B’s six launches were executed using United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rockets, with the remaining one flying on a Falcon 9.
During its most recent mission, X-37B spent 908 days in orbit, returning to Earth on Nov. 12, 2022, landing on the runway at KSC previously used for space shuttle landings.
Falcon Heavy, which combines three Falcon 9 boosters for the rocket’s first stage, has the capability to carry heavier payloads into higher orbits than both Atlas V and Falcon 9, and could potentially launch X-37B further into space than it has ever flown. While little is known about the spacecraft’s operational capabilities, some of USSF-52’s mission objectives include X-37B “operating in new orbital regimes,” as indicated by the Space Force release.
One unclassified experiment flying as part of USSF-52 is NASA’s “Seeds-2,” which will test the radiation effects of long-duration spaceflight on plant seeds. Other mission objectives, according to the Space Force, include “experimenting with space domain awareness technologies.”
A photo shared by the launch shows X-37B, now displaying the Space Force’s logo for the first time, standing alongside one of its payload fairings, before being encapsulated.
While this is Falcon Heavy’s first flight with X-37B, it is not the rocket’s first launch for the Space Force, which has authorized SpaceX to fly national security payloads using refurbished stages. The side boosters launching USSF-52 have each flown on four previous missions, including two Space Force launches in November 2022 and January 2023, as well as launching the Hughes JUPITER 3 communications satellite and NASA’s Psyche probe earlier this year.
Stay up to date on the latest science news by signing up for our Essentials newsletter.
Josh Dinner is Space.com’s Content Manager. He is an author and photographer with a passion for science and space exploration.