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Secretive X-37B Robot Space Plane Was Launched By US Military

Utkarsh Classes Last Updated 29-12-2023
Secretive X-37B Robot Space Plane Was Launched By US Military Science and Technology 4 min read

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket blasted into space night to ferry the US military’s secretive X-37B plane to a research mission. The rocket launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX teams were again preparing to launch the military's top-secret X-37B robot spaceplane on its seventh mission. The SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is scheduled to launch at night from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, Florida's Atlantic coast.

About X -37B

  • The X-37B is a Boeing vehicle resembling a small space shuttle.
  • The US Space Force's secretive X-37B robot space plane was launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. 
  • Its seventh mission is being launched on the Falcon Heavy for the first time. 
  • The launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Centre was delayed, but it went ahead following a successful countdown. 
  • The Falcon Heavy is the most powerful operational rocket launched in a spectacular display of fire and smoke. 

Significance of X -37B

  • The X-37B mission serves as further evidence of the increasing strategic significance of space in both technological innovation and national defence. 
  • Its ability to reach higher orbits and potentially venture near the moon constitutes a huge jump in capability, especially in light of the US-China rivalry. 
  • This mission can open the path for new space-based surveillance, communication and other classified operations.

Falcon Heavy rocket of SpaceX 

  • SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, manufactures the Falcon Heavy rocket.
  • SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket, carrying 24 experimental satellites on reusable rockets.
  • SpaceX originally demonstrated the 230-foot-tall Falcon Heavy in February 2018.
  • It is considered the world's most powerful performing rocket.
  • Its headquarters are in Hawthorne, California (United States of America).

Specifications of Falcon Heavy rocket of SpaceX

  • It can lift more than twice as much as the Delta IV Heavy, the closest operational vehicle.
  • At full power, Falcon Heavy's 27 Merlin engines provide more than five million pounds of thrust at lift-off, equivalent to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft.
  • It can hoist around 64 metric tonnes into orbit.
  • The rocket can launch the equivalent of a fully loaded 737 aircraft into orbit, replete with passengers, luggage, and fuel.

FAQ

Ans. The United States has launched the secretive X-37B Robot spaceplane.

Ans. The SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will be launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, Florida's Atlantic coast.

Ans. SpaceX is a firm owned by billionaire Elon Musk.
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