The U.S. Space Force’s X-37B spaceplane successfully completed its seventh mission, touching down at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 02:22 a.m. EST on Mar. 7, following 434 days in orbit. The landing marked the conclusion of the program’s first mission to highly elliptical orbit.
Launched as mission USSF-52 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Dec. 28, 2023, at 8:07 PM EST from Kennedy Space Center, the unmanned spaceplane demonstrated unprecedented operational flexibility and new orbital maneuvering capabilities.
A key achievement of Mission 7 was the successful execution of an aerobraking maneuver, which utilized atmospheric drag over multiple passes to change orbits while minimizing fuel consumption. “The successful execution of the aerobraking maneuver underscores the U.S. Space Force’s commitment to pushing the bounds of novel space operations in a safe and responsible manner,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman.
The mission carried multiple space domain awareness technology experiments, designed to enhance the Space Force’s understanding of an increasingly congested orbital environment. These tests aimed to improve the service’s ability to conduct operations in contested space conditions.
“Mission 7’s operation in a new orbital regime, its novel aerobraking maneuver, and its testing of space domain awareness experiments have written an exciting new chapter in the X-37B program,” said Lt. Col. Blaine Stewart, X-37B Program Director. “Considered together, they mark a significant milestone in the ongoing development of the U.S. Space Force’s dynamic mission capability.”
The choice of Vandenberg Space Force Base for landing demonstrated the program’s ability to conduct rapid launch and recovery operations across multiple sites, adding operational flexibility to the Space Force’s unmanned spaceplane capabilities.
The successful return of the X-37B from highly elliptical orbit represents a significant expansion of the platform’s demonstrated capabilities, building upon its previous missions and establishing new operational parameters for future space operations.
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Museum piece in USAF Museum!