2023-12-29 16:31:00
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket successfully launched the Boeing X-37B secret military space vehicle on its seventh mission, known as OTV-7 or USSF-52. After several postponements due to bad weather and problems with ground systems, the launch took place this morning from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the first time that the X-37B has been launched by a Falcon Heavy, instead of the traditional Atlas V. from ULA.
Choosing the Falcon Heavy was driven by the need to reach higher orbits, a requirement for the mission that has not been publicly detailed. The Boeing X-37B, a Space Force reusable rover, will fly at altitudes higher than previous missions, making the Falcon Heavy’s additional thrust capability crucial.
The mission included the successful launch and recovery of the two side boosters, coded B1064 and B1065, which landed in landing zones 1 and 2 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. However, the central booster was not recovered and tied up in the Atlantic Ocean.
This was the ninth launch overall for Falcon Heavy and SpaceX’s 97th launch of 2023. The mission also included NASA’s experiment called SEED-2, which exposes seeds to the space environment and radiation.
While astronomers and radio amateurs will try to track the activities of the Boeing X-37B in orbit, Space Force will likely keep detailed information regarding the mission confidential.
The coincidence of two launches of reusable military space vehicles, one from the US and the other from China, at short intervals raises questions regarding possible strategic choices, although the higher orbits make any real proximity between them unlikely.
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