Major General James G. Blunt

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USA-299, also referred to as USSF-7 and Orbital Test Vehicle 6 (OTV-6), is the third flight of the first Boeing X-37B, an American unmanned vertical-takeoff, horizontal-landing spaceplane. It was launched to low Earth orbit aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle from SLC-41 on 17 May 2020. Its mission designation is part of the USA series.

The spaceplane is operated by the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office[2] and United States Space Force, which considers the mission classified and as such has not revealed the objectives. However an unclassified secondary satellite, FalconSat-8, was deployed from the X-37B soon after launch.[3]

Mission

OTV-6 is the third mission for the first X-37B built, and the sixth X-37B mission overall. It flew on an Atlas V in the 501 configuration, and launched from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 41.[4] This flight is the first time the space plane has been equipped with a service module to carry additional pieces for experiments.

OTV-6 was deployed into an orbit with an inclination of approximately 44.60°.[5]

OTV-6 landed after a record-breaking 908 days at the Shuttle Landing Facility on November 12, 2022.[6]

FalconSat-8

A rideshare payload for the United States Air Force Academy, FalconSat-8, was deployed from the X-37B a few days into the mission. The satellite provides a platform for the academy's Cadet Space Operations Squadron to test various technologies.

Onboard experiments include:

  • MEP (Magnetic gradient Electrostatic Plasma thruster), a novel electromagnetic propulsion system
  • MMA (Metamaterial antenna), a low power, high performance antenna
  • CANOE (CArbon NanOtubes Experiment)
  • ACES (Attitude Control and Energy Storage), a commercial reaction wheel modified into a flywheel
  • SkyPad, off-the-shelf cameras and GPUs integrated into a low power package

See also

References

  1. ^ "X-37B OTV 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6". Gunter's Space Page. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Department of the Air Force scheduled to launch seventh X-37B mission". United States Space Force. 8 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  3. ^ "FalconSat 8". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  4. ^ Graham, William (16 May 2020). "ULA Atlas V launches sixth mission for X-37B spaceplane". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  5. ^ "OTV-6 Launch". zarya.info. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  6. ^ Wall, Mike (12 November 2022). "US military's X-37B space plane lands, ending record-breaking mystery mission". space.com. Space.com. Retrieved 12 November 2022.