Space Force is destined to organize space exploration programs that align with the space interests of the United States of America. It was established on December 20, 2019, and it has sumptuously contributed to the enrichment of space programs ever since. After all these space exploration programs, the Space Force is up to a new mission that has recently gained worldwide attention.
The X-37B is an Orbital Test Vehicle(OTV-7) of the Space Force. The name X-37B has been floating in the world recently. Boeing Space released a video that shows how the Space Force’s aerobraking process works.
The US Military has been maintaining the confidentiality of X-37B for a long time, but now the world has seen what X-37B is capable of. The combined statement from Boeing and the United States Space Force revealed that X-37B will initiate its series of aerobraking maneuvers to start lowering its orbit and effective disposal of unnecessary hardware before it lands on Earth.
How X-37B works?
Space Force has been conducting a wide range of experiments with X-37B recently. Their seventh mission too is aimed to produce the best ever possible outcome in the space exploration arena. The seventh mission focuses on programs like aerobraking, deorbiting and landing, space domain awareness, radiation effects, etc.
- Aerobraking: the OTV X-37B uses the earth’s atmospheric drag to change its orbit and try to dispose of the components of the vehicle when it lands back on the earth.
- De-orbiting and Landing: X-37B can initiate automated de-orbit and landing functions. This OTV uses electromagnetic flight controls and brakes. The use of hydraulics is absent in X-37B.
- Space domain awareness: X-37B uses technologies to create a safe and secure space operation. It is crucial for analyzing and interpreting activities in space. It also conducts a comprehensive study of the effects of space radiation on the plant seeds provided by NASA.
Also Read: SpaceX Launches 20 More Starlink Internet Satellites
X-37B: a futuristic space exploration vehicle?
The X-37B uses innovative technology and advanced features in its work, so it could be an asset for future space exploration programs. X-37B will soon enable its total capabilities and contribute wisely to the enrichment of space programs. Energy consumption is much less for X-37B and this will have a big impact in the future since the non-traditional fuel is facing its all-time low. The lower energy consumption will help to conserve natural resources and become a significant tool for energy conservation.
According to the latest data available, US Space Force officials claimed that these maneuvers conducted by X-37B are showing a commitment to the transformation of national security missions.
X-37B is one of the most effective tools for the reusable space plane technology. X-37B will return to the Earth once all the experiments and maneuvers are done. De-orbit technology is the technology application used in the retrieval of the X-37 OTV. The seventh mission of X-37B will follow the same pattern as the previous six versions.
John Ealy who is a backroom staff of this project personnel included in the guidance, navigation, and control technical fellow responded in a viral video that has recently come out.
These are his words,
“In general, with the assigned maneuvers, it will use its thrusters to execute one or multiple burns to get from its initial orbit to whatever target orbit wants to get to. Every time it burns, it is going to use Delta V and expand propellant. When we aerobrake, we utilize atmospheric drag to effectively step down our apogee one pass at a time until we get to the orbital regime that we want to be in. When we do this, we save enormous amounts of propellant, and that’s really why aerobraking is important.”
The X-37 OTV and its mission are under the classified programs of the US Space Force. Detailed program information is not available since it is a classified mission and in its developing stage.
