International media recently discovered it in a clip of the United States Air Force broadcast at the conference on virtual aviation, space and cyberspace last week with previously unreleased images of the X-37B. In it, the image revealed that the door at the rear of the plane was opened, revealing the side compartment that contains the device’s board as a solar panel. Therefore, analysts believe that when it comes to space, the upper door system opens to allow the aircraft to store more energy.
Top Secret Equipment
According to content updated and officially announced by the US Air Force in August, the X-37B is a self-propelled orbiting vehicle for testing platform technologies in space. In particular, the X-37B is also on a mission to test reusable spaceflight equipment many times, so that it can fly into space and back.
The X-37B has a design that is launched vertically into a low Earth orbit (the ceiling is at an altitude of 2,000 km). Here, the X-37B operates autonomously for a long time and can return to the ground by command from the ground control center. However, the Air Force and the Department of Defense have not released any further details about the X-37B’s activities.
Image X-37B with rear door opener
|
The X-37 program began in 1999. At first, this program belonged to the United States Aerospace Agency (NASA) and had a mission similar to a shuttle. It is also NASA’s first roundtrip spacecraft since the birth of the space shuttle.
Then, in 2004, the Department of Defense’s Modern Defense Research Projects Agency (DARPA) took over this project and continued its development. The DARPA X-37B made its first launch on April 22, 2010. Since then, the X-37B has performed a total of six test flights. Notably, the sixth flight launched on May 17 and has not returned. With the five previous flights, the total time spent in space for the X-37B is 2,865 days. The fifth flight lasted almost 780 days each.
Military service?
It has always been rumored that the X-37B still has a military purpose, but the Pentagon has never responded to these speculations.
Secret US Army X-37B spacecraft flew into space again
|
However, speaking at the conference on virtual aviation, space and cyberspace last week, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper revealed more information about the X-37B. Specifically, the owner of the Pentagon believes that new technology is changing the nature and shape of warfare. American “warriors” in air, space and cyberspace “will be at the forefront of future high-tech warfare,” he declared. Esper said China and Russia are sending weapons to satellites in space, while developing energy-oriented weapons.
In response, according to Esper, the United States has modernized its forces to new heights. In doing so, it revealed that the X-37B and the B-21 stealth bomber are the base that the US Air Force is developing in the above strategy.
Thus, although not officially admitted, the information revealed by Esper shows in part that the top-secret X-37B plane also carries a military mission, although it is not clear that this line of aircraft has the site. weapons or not, or just focus on information connection, combat support.
China is competing
Early September, sheets Hoan Cau Times newspaper Citing some sources, it was revealed that China has just tested a space plane similar to the X-37B. This is the first test of an aircraft that China is developing. This Chinese aircraft also has the ability to go to the lower layers of Earth’s orbit to operate autonomously and then return. In the first test, the Chinese space plane operated for 2 days.
|
