HomeInternationalUS military's mystery space plane rockets back into orbit InternationalUnited States US military’s mystery space plane rockets back into orbit By: Dubai Date: May 18, 2020 FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp Related stories Business Bizzopp Business Expo 2025: Unlock Networking and Growth Opportunities in New Delhi on January 18 Following the success of previous events in Mumbai and... India news Government Will Not Compromise on Any Inch of India’s Borders: PM Modi PM Modi Celebrates Diwali with Soldiers in KachchhDuring a... India “Tata-Airbus Collaboration: A Leap Forward for India’s Defense Manufacturing in Gujarat” In a landmark event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and... India Gujarat Man Arrested for Operating a Fake Court and Disposing of Hundreds of Cases Aman, also known as Morris Christian, has been arrested... India Gujarat Government Defends Demolition of Structures as Necessary Action Against Land Encroachment The Gujarat government has defended the demolition of certain... 1 of 6 The U.S. military’s mystery space plane rocketed into orbit again Sunday, this time with an extra load of science experiments. It’s the sixth flight of an X-37B, a solar-powered plane that’s flown by remote control without a crew. Officials aren’t saying how long the spacecraft will remain in orbit this time or the purpose of the mission.Image Credit: AP 2 of 6 But a senior vice president for X-37B developer Boeing, Jim Chilton, noted each mission has been progressively longer. The previous mission lasted a record two years, with a touchdown shrouded in darkness at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center last year. The winged spacecraft resembles NASA’s old shuttles, but is just one-quarter the size at 29 feet (9 meters) long.Image Credit: AP 3 of 6 The one just launched features an extra compartment for experiments, including several for NASA and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, making it the biggest science load yet for an X-37B. The Air Force has two of these reusable space planes. Their home base is a former space shuttle hangar at Kennedy. “You could say that the X-37B stands on the shoulders of the space shuttle,” Chilton said. “From a common shape to a common home.”Image Credit: AP 4 of 6 Since the first flight in 2010, the secretive space planes had logged a combined 2,865 days in orbit as of Sunday. “If you add up all the missions, just under eight years in orbit and 1 billion miles, so a lot of traveling by this machine,” Chilton said during the launch broadcast. Delayed a day by bad weather, this marked just the second rocket launch for the newly established Space Force.Image Credit: AP 5 of 6 In March, it hoisted a national security satellite. United Launch Alliance, which provided the Atlas V rocket, declared success 1 1/2 hours after liftoff. It dedicated Sunday’s launch to the health care workers and others who are working on the front lines of the pandemic. The company said it followed health advice for the launch. Many of the flight controllers wore masks and were spread out. Precautions were less evident along area causeways, where spectators parked to watch the Atlas soar.Image Credit: AP 6 of 6 Thick, low clouds spoiled the show. The Cape Canaveral Air Force Station has an exceptionally fast turnaround for its next launch. Before dawn Tuesday, SpaceX will attempt to launch another batch of its Starlink satellites for global internet service. It will be SpaceX’s last flight before its first astronaut launch, scheduled for May 27 from next-door Kennedy Space Center. TagsInternationalU.S Dubaihttps://ap-ind.in Subscribe - Never miss a story with notifications - Gain full access to our premium content - Browse free from up to 5 devices at once Unlock AllI've read and accept the Privacy Policy. Latest stories Business Bizzopp Business Expo 2025: Unlock Networking and Growth Opportunities in New Delhi on January 18 India news Government Will Not Compromise on Any Inch of India’s Borders: PM Modi India “Tata-Airbus Collaboration: A Leap Forward for India’s Defense Manufacturing in Gujarat” India Gujarat Man Arrested for Operating a Fake Court and Disposing of Hundreds of Cases LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply Comment: Please enter your comment! Name:* Please enter your name here Email:* You have entered an incorrect email address! Please enter your email address here Website: Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.