On July 7, 2022, the X-37B unmanned spacecraft of the US Space Force broke its own record for the duration of its stay in orbit, spending 781 consecutive days in space. This happened during the Orbital Test Vehicle-6 (OTV-6) mission – the sixth flight of the reusable vehicle. Boeing, which designed and built the X-37B, announced the event on Twitter.
This is written by the Alpha Centauri space portal.
781 days and counting!
The world's only reusable spaceplane, #X37B, has set another endurance record — as it has on every mission since it first launched in 2010. Congratulations to the @USAirForce, @SpaceForceDOD and all our teammates who support X-37B! #SemperSupra pic.twitter.com/zzZAOG0Wa5
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) July 7, 2022
A significant part of the payload of the device is classified, but some of the scientific experiments located on board have been told to the public. One of these is the PRAM module (Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module) – a small device that converts solar energy into microwaves, which can then, in theory, be transmitted from orbit to Earth. The purpose of the experiment is to evaluate the efficiency of the conversion process; according to last year’s preliminary results, it is about 8 percent.
In addition, the X-37B delivered the US Air Force Academy’s FalconSat-8 satellite into orbit, as well as two NASA experiments designed to test the effects of radiation on plant seeds and evaluate the performance of various materials in space.
From the outside, the space plane resembles the legendary Shuttles, but has much smaller dimensions. The length of the X-37B is only 8.8 meters, the height is 2.9 m, the wingspan is about 4.6 m. When fully loaded, the machine weighs 4990 kg.
The X-37B is designed to operate at an altitude of 240 to 805 km. The device can depart from orbit and land without human assistance, and is equipped with a completely electromechanical control system, which eliminates the need for hydraulics. According to Boeing, their development is ‘one of the most advanced reusable spacecraft in the world.’
There are rumors that the X-37B can be a test platform for orbital weapons or even be used to capture enemy satellites – but experts refute such thoughts, citing the small size and insufficient maneuverability of the device. Most likely, its main purpose is to test new sensor systems and other technologies, as the representatives of the US military claim.
