SpaceX launches Space Force’s X-37B spaceplane to demo laser communications, quantum navigation – Spaceflight Now

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket thundered off launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida shortly earlier than midnight, carrying with it a army spaceplane often called the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle.

The launch Thursday evening kicked off the eighth mission for this system, which started operational flights in April 2010. United States Space Force (USSF) officers confirmed separation of the Boeing-built spacecraft within the hours following liftoff at 11:50 p.m. EDT (0350 UTC on Aug. 22).

“OTV-8 exemplifies the X-37B’s status as the U.S. Space Force’s premier test platform for the critical space technologies of tomorrow,” stated Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (AFRCO) Acting Director William Blauser, in a prelaunch assertion. “Through its mission-focused innovation, the X-37B continues to redefine the art of the possible in the final frontier of space.”

Roughly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the SpaceX Falcon 9 booster, tail quantity 1092, accomplished its sixth flight with a landing at Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, accompanied by a sonic increase.

There are two operational spaceplanes within the X-37B fleet. The fourth flight of X-37B automobile 1, additionally referred to by the mission names of OTV-8 or USSF-36, started about five-and-a-half months after X-37B automobile 2 landed on Runway 12 at Vandenberg Space Force Base on March 7.

• X-37B 1
  • OTV-1 April 22, 2010 – Dec. 3, 2010 (224 days)
  • OTV-3 Dec. 11, 2012 – Oct. 17, 2014 (675 days)
  • OTV-6 May 17, 2020 – Nov. 12, 2022 (909 days)
• X-37B 2
  • OTV-2 March 5, 2011 – June 16, 2012 (469 days)
  • OTV-4 May 20, 2015 – May 7, 2017 (718 days)
  • OTV-5 Sep. 7, 2017 – Oct. 27, 2019 (780 days)

Much concerning the X-37B program stays secret, together with the experiments carried out throughout most of its flights. However, Space Force officers made a degree to emphasise two demonstrations on this flight: laser communication and quantum navigation.

The high-bandwidth inter-satellite laser communications know-how onboard the OTV-8 flight will work together with what the USSF describes as “proliferated commercial satellite networks in Low Earth Orbit.” It’s unclear although if this demonstration will contain the SpaceX-built Starshield satellites operated by the federal government, SpaceX’s Starlink satellites or one other industrial satellite tv for pc constellation.

The USSF stated that speaking via shorter wavelength infrared gentle permits a rise within the quantity of knowledge that may be moved with every transmission and achieve this in a safer method as in comparison with radio frequency communications.

“OTV-8’s laser communications demonstration will mark an important step in the U.S. Space Force’s ability to leverage proliferated space networks as part of a diversified and redundant space architectures,” stated Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, stated. “In so doing, it will strengthen the resilience, reliability, adaptability and data transport speeds of our satellite communications architecture.”

The X-37B may even display using a quantum inertial sensor that can observe the rotation and acceleration of atoms, permitting for unaided navigation. The USSF goals to be taught extra about navigation in areas the place GPS is both compromised or unavailable.

Officials stated this is able to be useful for each U.S. spacecraft in Earth orbit in addition to out in cislunar house and past.

“OTV 8’s quantum inertial sensor demonstration is a welcome step forward for operational resilience in space,” stated Col. Ramsey Horn, Space Delta 9 commander. “Whether navigating beyond Earth based orbits in cislunar space or operating in GPS-denied environments, quantum inertial sensing allows for robust navigation capabilities when GPS navigation is not possible.”

It’s unclear how lengthy the X-37B will function in low Earth orbit this time.