USA: This has never happened before! What’s in store for the secret X-37B spaceplane? – Geekweek at INTERIA.PL
USA: This has never happened before! What’s in store for the secret X-37B spaceplane?
The US Space Force announced that the X-37B – a spaceplane that has been shrouded in secrecy since its 2011 reveal – will soon begin performing a series of novel maneuvers that will expand its ability to evade enemy detection.
The X-37B is preparing for maneuvers that will expand its capabilities to avoid enemy detection /United States Space Force /public domain
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) is a unique design created by Boeing and operated by the U.S. Space Force (USSF). Since its first flight in 2011, the X-37B has been surrounded by an aura of mystery. And it’s hardly surprising, because this is it reusable remotely operated spacecraft designed for operations in low Earth orbit (LEO)i.e. altitudes from 240 to 800 km above the Earth.
Its main goal is to test technologies that “support long-term space goals” (which could be anything and certainly hides more than the United States is willing to reveal). 2On December 9, 2023, the X-37B began its seventh mission (OTV-7), conducting experiments on the effects of cosmic radiation and by testing Space Domain Awareness (SDA) technologies.
And it is within this framework that the X-37B will soon begin performing a series of innovative maneuvers aimed at changing its orbit relative to the Earth. This includes, among others: about aerobraking, which is aimed at reducing the speed of a space vehicle by using atmospheric resistance. It reduces fuel consumption, unlike the direct use of a rocket engine, and the unit descends along a ballistic path or with partial use of the lifting force.
To a maneuver first used during the Magellan spacecraft’s exploration of Venusand later used, among others, in 1997, when the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) orbiter used its solar panels as “wings” to control its passage through Mars’ thin atmosphere and lower its orbit. Recently, the aerobraking technique was also used by the Mars Odyssey missions in 2001 and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2006.
It is there though the first time that the X-37B will perform such a maneuver, which will help it avoid detection by potentially hostile countries and conduct undetected, low passes over the Earth during future missions. How? Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, notes that the maneuver of passing through the atmosphere changes the time at which the craft reappears above a specific point, making opponents’ predictions inaccurate.
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Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the X-37B, the US Space Force’s enigmatic spaceplane, which has now taken “secrecy” to new, intergalactic heights! Imagine the X-37B as your distant uncle who mysteriously disappears every time there’s an awkward family gathering. You don’t quite know where he’s going, but you suspect it involves a questionable space odyssey!
Now, the announcement that the X-37B will be performing a series of “novel maneuvers”—or as I like to call it, “stealthy space yoga”—is like hearing your favorite magician reveal their tricks! You thought it could disappear behind a curtain? Nope! It can just fly straight up into the stratosphere and redefine physics while doing it!
Since its reveal back in 2011, we’ve mostly been left with theories, wild speculation, and perhaps a few memes about a spaceplane capable of doing whatever the heck it wants. And now, with its seventh mission kicking off in December 2023—let’s just say I’m beginning to think the X-37B might be the universe’s best-kept secret since… well, the existence of pineapple on pizza!
But enough about toppings! The primary goal sounds spectacular: the tests of technologies that “support long-term space goals.” What does that even mean? Are we colonizing Jupiter? Or perhaps just avoiding awkward conversations with our neighbors?
Now, aerobraking! What gets me is the idea of using atmospheric resistance to slow down—because who wouldn’t want to come in for a landing like they’ve just swallowed a whole cheese cake and need a moment to breathe? This maneuver is basically space’s version of a gentle landing after a drunken night out—gravity does the talking!
And then there’s the cherry on top: these innovative maneuvers are designed to keep the X-37B undetectable. You know, like when you accidentally walk into a room full of people and try to blend in by just standing really still—you might as well be an immovable object!
As Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, cleverly points out, this “pass through the atmosphere” method means opponents will be left guessing when and where they’ll see the X-37B next. It’s like playing hide-and-seek, except you’re the kid who’s really good at hiding and such a nuisance that when your parents call you for dinner, you just keep pretending you’re still hiding.
So, what’s in store for our mysterious friend, the X-37B? If all goes well, it could be hovering unnoticed over dinner parties across the globe, cheekily monitoring our awkward human interactions. Remember, if you suddenly feel a chill in the air during your next family BBQ, don’t check for rain—check the sky for the X-37B. You could be the star of the next big conspiracy theory!
Ladies and gentlemen, keep your eyes to the skies—because with the X-37B around, you never know when things could get… cosmic!
