Washington: Ten months into its latest and largely classified mission, the Space Force’s X-37B spaceplane is embarking on a new set of manoeuvres that could inform future space operations for the service.
The Boeing-built spacecraft has functioned as a testbed for Pentagon and NASA technologies since 2010. The spacecraft’s current mission, OTV-7, began in December with the goal of experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies.
While many details of the mission are classified, the Space Force offered a rare glimpse into the X-37B’s latest endeavour in a press release, revealing that the spaceplane is preparing to conduct what’s called an aerobraking manoeuvre.
Although it’s a new move for the X-37B, aerobraking has been used by NASA and other space agencies for years. The technique involves a series of passes that rely on the drag of Earth’s atmosphere. If successful, it will allow the X-37B to change orbits using minimal fuel.
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