* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Reba McEntire Details Personal Relationship With Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock – KNDU

    Reba McEntire Shares Emotional Tribute to Her Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock

    Sacramento city leaders approve adding 2 entertainment zones in midtown – CBS News

    Sacramento City Leaders Approve Two Thrilling New Entertainment Zones in Midtown

    AMC brings first new Dolby Experience to Gwinnett since 2017 – Wyoming News Now

    AMC Launches First New Dolby Experience in Gwinnett Since 2017

    Hetzel Design: blending architecture and entertainment – Blooloop

    Hetzel Design: Where Architecture and Entertainment Unite in Perfect Harmony

    Country music legend rushed to hospital year after heart surgery. Here’s what we know – PennLive.com

    Country Music Legend Rushed to Hospital One Year After Heart Surgery – What’s Happening Now?

    Strictly Come Dancing results: Chris Robshaw is eliminated while drag queen La Voix escapes dance-off – Yahoo

    Strictly Come Dancing results: Chris Robshaw is eliminated while drag queen La Voix escapes dance-off – Yahoo

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Next steps: Technology opens new options for greater mobility – Missouri Independent

    Next Steps: How Technology is Opening Exciting New Doors to Greater Mobility

    Rydberg Technologies Inc. Announces Launch of Rydberg Photonics in Berlin – The Quantum Insider

    Rydberg Technologies Launches Exciting New Photonics Division in Berlin

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 Technology Stocks to Buy Now – Yahoo Finance

    3 Must-Buy Tech Stocks You Can’t Afford to Miss Right Now

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Reba McEntire Details Personal Relationship With Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock – KNDU

    Reba McEntire Shares Emotional Tribute to Her Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock

    Sacramento city leaders approve adding 2 entertainment zones in midtown – CBS News

    Sacramento City Leaders Approve Two Thrilling New Entertainment Zones in Midtown

    AMC brings first new Dolby Experience to Gwinnett since 2017 – Wyoming News Now

    AMC Launches First New Dolby Experience in Gwinnett Since 2017

    Hetzel Design: blending architecture and entertainment – Blooloop

    Hetzel Design: Where Architecture and Entertainment Unite in Perfect Harmony

    Country music legend rushed to hospital year after heart surgery. Here’s what we know – PennLive.com

    Country Music Legend Rushed to Hospital One Year After Heart Surgery – What’s Happening Now?

    Strictly Come Dancing results: Chris Robshaw is eliminated while drag queen La Voix escapes dance-off – Yahoo

    Strictly Come Dancing results: Chris Robshaw is eliminated while drag queen La Voix escapes dance-off – Yahoo

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Next steps: Technology opens new options for greater mobility – Missouri Independent

    Next Steps: How Technology is Opening Exciting New Doors to Greater Mobility

    Rydberg Technologies Inc. Announces Launch of Rydberg Photonics in Berlin – The Quantum Insider

    Rydberg Technologies Launches Exciting New Photonics Division in Berlin

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 Technology Stocks to Buy Now – Yahoo Finance

    3 Must-Buy Tech Stocks You Can’t Afford to Miss Right Now

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches mysterious X-37B space plane for US Space Force after delays

December 29, 2023
in Science
SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches mysterious X-37B space plane for US Space Force after delays
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The U.S. military’s X-37B space plane has embarked on its latest clandestine mission at last.

The robotic X-37B lifted off atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida Thursday night (Dec. 28) at 8:07 p.m. EST (0107 GMT on Dec. 29) after weeks of delays. SpaceX first two attempts to launch the secretive X-37-B military space plane earlier this month were delayed by bad weather and a ground equipment issue.

Thursday’s launch marked the seventh liftoff for the X-37B to date but its first ride on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, the second-most powerful rocket currently in operation (after NASA’s Space Launch System). It was SpaceX’s 95th launch of 2023, with the next launch just hours away when Falcon 9 rocket will launch 23 Starlink satellites from the nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:01 p.m. EST (0401 GMT).

A white rocket with three boosters launching at night

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches the X-37B space plane on the USSF-52 mission for the U.S. Space Force on Dec. 28, 2023 from Pad 39A of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Image credit: SpaceX)

SpaceX shut down its livestream of the Falcon Heavy launch before the X-37B space plan was deployed in its final orbit at the request of the U.S. Space Force.

The new X-37B mission, known as OTV-7 (“Orbital Test Vehicle-7”) as well as USSF-52, will apparently take advantage of the rocket’s muscle; the flight’s main objectives “include operating the reusable space plane in new orbital regimes,” Space Force officials wrote in a mission preview last month.

Related: The US Space Force’s secretive X-37B space plane: 10 surprising facts

a black and white space plane sits on a runway at night.

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility shortly after touching down on Nov. 12, 2022. (Image credit: U.S. Space Force/Staff Sgt. Adam Shanks)

The Falcon Heavy consists of three modified, strapped-together first stages of SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. The central booster in this lineup carries a second stage, which is topped by the payload.

The Heavy’s three first stages are reusable, as we saw during today’s liftoff: The two outer boosters came back for safe touchdowns at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which is next door to KSC, about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. It was the fifth launch and landing for the two boosters, whose resume also includes the launch of NASA’s Psyche asteroid probe, which took flight this past October.

“We have successfully landed both Falcon Heavy side boosters at Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2,” said Jessie Anderson, SpaceX’s mechanical production and engineering manager, in a live webcast. “With these two side boosters, this marks the 257th and 258th overall successful landings of an orbital class rocket.”

The Heavy’s central booster flew for the first and only time today; it ditched intentionally into the Atlantic Ocean after launch, having expended too much of its fuel to return to Earth for recovery and reuse.

Four images in a grid of two rockets landing at night

The twin Falcon Heavy boosters of the USSF-52/OTV-7 mission land at Landing Zones 1 and 2 of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida after launching the X-37B space plane for the U.S. Space Force on Dec. 28, 2023. (Image credit: SpaceX)

The X-37B looks like NASA’s retired space shuttle but is much smaller. The uncrewed vehicle is just 29 feet (8.8 meters) long, with a wingspan of 15 feet (4.6 m). Each shuttle orbiter, by contrast, was 122 feet (37 m) long and had a wingspan of more than 78 feet (24 m). 

The Space Force is thought to own two X-37B vehicles, both of them built by Boeing. The space planes are used primarily as orbital testbeds, allowing the military to see how  instruments perform and behave in the space environment. We don’t know much about this gear; details about X-37B missions, from their flight plans to their main payloads, tend to be classified.

For example, the Space Force lays out OTV-7’s objectives only in broad strokes. In addition to the “new orbital regimes” goal, the flight “will expand the United States Space Force’s knowledge of the space environment by experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies,” Space Force officials wrote in the mission description. “These tests are integral in ensuring safe, stable and secure operations in space for all users of the domain.”  

Not everything the space plane hauls to orbit is hush-hush, however; it routinely takes some civilian gear up as well. For example, a NASA experiment called Seeds-2 is hitching a ride on OTV-7. 

Seeds-2 “will expose plant seeds to the harsh radiation environment of long-duration spaceflight,” Space Force officials wrote. The project “will build upon the successes of prior experiments, paving the way for future crewed space missions,” they added.

It’s unclear how long OTV-7 will last, but it’s safe to assume the space plane will be up there for a while. The previous six X-37B missions lasted more than seven months apiece, and each one bested its predecessors’ duration: 

OTV-1: 224 days (launched on April 22, 2010, landed on Dec. 3, 2010)OTV-2: 468 days (launched on March 5, 2011, landed on June 16, 2012)OTV-3: 674 days (launched on Dec. 11, 2012, landed on Oct. 17, 2014)OTV-4: 718 days (launched on May 20, 2015, landed on May 7, 2015)OTV-5: 780 days (launched on Sept. 7, 2017, landed on Oct. 27, 2019)OTV-6: 908 days (launched on May 17, 2020, landed on Nov. 12, 2022)

The previous six missions all flew in low Earth orbit, just a few hundred miles above our planet. The Falcon Heavy could take the X-37B much higher, potentially all the way to geosynchronous orbit, about 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers) up. But it’s unclear if that’s the plan for OTV-7.

The first five X-37B flights lifted off atop United Launch Alliance Atlas V rockets. SpaceX has provided launch services for the most recent two: OTV-6 flew on a Falcon 9 and OTV-7 on a Heavy. 

The Falcon Heavy debuted in February 2018 with a highly anticipated test flight that sent SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk’s red Tesla Roadster into orbit around the sun. The big rocket now has nine flights under its belt, including five in 2023.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, “Out There,” was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Space.com – https://www.space.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-x-37b-space-plane-launch-success

Tags: FalconscienceSpaceX
Previous Post

Japan’s H3 rocket will launch a 2nd time in February 2024 after explosive failure

Next Post

Tesla Cybertruck spotted charging a Rivian R1S in the wild

Vibrio pectenicida strain FHCF-3 is a causative agent of sea star wasting disease – Nature

Vibrio pectenicida strain FHCF-3 is a causative agent of sea star wasting disease – Nature

October 23, 2025
Condensation defying gravity – European Space Agency

Condensation defying gravity – European Space Agency

October 23, 2025
Guest educators bring fun environmental science to Kent middle school – MyEasternShoreMD

Guest Educators Ignite Passion for Environmental Science at Kent Middle School

October 23, 2025
Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. Profit Rises In Q3, Beats Estimates – Nasdaq

Equity Lifestyle Properties Delivers Impressive Q3 Profit, Exceeding All Expectations

October 23, 2025
Next steps: Technology opens new options for greater mobility – Missouri Independent

Next Steps: How Technology is Opening Exciting New Doors to Greater Mobility

October 23, 2025
American Football Betting Market Report 2025, with Profiles of ESPN, Caesers Entertainment, Entain, Fanatics Sports Betting, Betfred and Other Major and Innovative Companies – Yahoo Finance

American Football Betting Market Report 2025, with Profiles of ESPN, Caesers Entertainment, Entain, Fanatics Sports Betting, Betfred and Other Major and Innovative Companies – Yahoo Finance

October 23, 2025
UIPM 2025 Obstacle World Championships (OCR): All you need to know – Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM)

Your Ultimate Guide to the 2025 Obstacle World Championships

October 23, 2025
PPPs in Bolivia: The future of our economy? – Dentons

Could PPPs Unlock Bolivia’s Path to Economic Prosperity?

October 23, 2025
Reba McEntire Details Personal Relationship With Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock – KNDU

Reba McEntire Shares Emotional Tribute to Her Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock

October 23, 2025
Mark Peterson receives inaugural APSA Career Achievement Award in Health Politics and Policy – UCLA

Mark Peterson receives inaugural APSA Career Achievement Award in Health Politics and Policy – UCLA

October 23, 2025

Categories

Archives

October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (882)
  • Economy (903)
  • Entertainment (21,774)
  • General (17,757)
  • Health (9,944)
  • Lifestyle (916)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (904)
  • Politics (913)
  • Science (16,114)
  • Sports (21,403)
  • Technology (15,883)
  • World (886)

Recent News

Vibrio pectenicida strain FHCF-3 is a causative agent of sea star wasting disease – Nature

Vibrio pectenicida strain FHCF-3 is a causative agent of sea star wasting disease – Nature

October 23, 2025
Condensation defying gravity – European Space Agency

Condensation defying gravity – European Space Agency

October 23, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version