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December 15th, 2023
Possible design of China’s space plane.
Source: Homem do Espaco/Twitter
Update: SpaceX is now targeting no earlier than Thursday, December 28 for Falcon Heavy to launch the U.S. Space Force X-37B (USSF-52) to orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
China’s reusable experimental spacecraft was lofted into orbit via a Long March 2F carrier rocket on Thursday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China’s Gobi Desert.
As reported by the China News Network, this vehicle’s mission is the third that China has made public: first orbital test of a trial vehicle took place in September 2020, with the craft in orbit for just under two days.
The second test started in August 2022 and the spaceplane stayed in the Earth’s orbit for 276 days before landing in May 2023.
Both spacecraft in the previous two tests – it is not known whether they were of the same type – were launched by a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan center, as noted by the China News Network.
China has had a long-standing interest in reusable space planes.
Courtesy: Jean Deville/China Aerospace Blog
No word on duration of flight
Thursday’s launch of the secretive craft was the 22nd flight of the Long March 2F rocket, typically used to launch China’s Shenzhou crewed spaceships.
The Long March 2F booster has a carrying capacity of just over 8 metric tons for delivery into low Earth orbit.
There is no word as to the duration of this new mission of the experimental vehicle.
According to Robert Christy of Orbital Focus, the Chinese craft’s mission duration may exceed one year.
Uncrewed military space plane featuring the United States Space Force logo for the first time.
Image credit: U.S. Space Force/Courtesy Photo
X-37B delayed flight
Meanwhile, the launch of the U.S. Space Force X-37B military space plane remains in limbo (see update above). According to SpaceX, the flight of USSF-52/X-37B/Orbital Test Vehicle-7 is standing down to perform additional system checkouts.
“The payload remains healthy while teams work toward the next best launch opportunity,” adds a SpaceX communiqué.
Image credit: SpaceX
This will be the fifth launch and landing of the Falcon Heavy side boosters, which previously supported USSF-44, USSF-67, Hughes JUPTER 3, and NASA’s Psyche mission.
Following booster separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Image credit: SpaceX
For a view of this X-37B robotic craft, and the mission’s known tasks, go to:
U.S. Military Space Plane: Next Mission – What Will It Do?
https://www.leonarddavid.com/u-s-military-space-plane-next-mission-what-will-it-do/
For a perspective on China’s reusable spacecraft – “May be like US’s X-37B,” go to:
https://www.leonarddavid.com/chinas-reusable-spacecraft-may-be-like-uss-x-37b/
Posted in Space News
