X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV)

United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches the Sixth Orbital Test Vehicle for the U.S. Space Force

Mission dedicated to front-line responders and those affected by COVID-19

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., (May 17, 2020) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 501 rocket carrying the USSF-7 mission for the U.S. Space Force lifted off on May 17, 9:14 a.m. EDT, from Space Launch Complex-41. This marks the 84th successful launch of an Atlas V rocket, 139th launch for ULA, the second launch for the U.S. Space Force and the sixth flight of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-6).

“The success of this mission resulted from collaboration with our customer while working through challenging, and ever changing, health and safety conditions,” said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. “We were honored to partner with the U.S. Space Force to dedicate this mission to first responders, front-line workers, and those affected by COVID-19. It is truly a unique time in our history and I want to thank the entire team for their continued dedication and focus on mission success.”

Along with OTV-6, this mission deployed FalconSat-8, a small satellite developed by the U.S. Air Force Academy and sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to conduct experiments on orbit. The mission also carried two NASA experiments, including a material sample plate to determine the results of radiation and other space effects on various materials, and an experiment which will assess space effects on seeds used to grow food. Another experiment sponsored by the Naval Research Laboratory will examine the ability to transform solar power into radio frequency microwave energy which could be transmitted to the ground.

This mission launched aboard an Atlas V 501 configuration rocket that included a 5-meter-diameter payload fairing. The Atlas booster was powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine, and the Centaur upper stage was powered by the Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C-1 engine.

ULA’s next launch is NASA’s Mars 2020 mission carrying the Perseverance rover on an Atlas V rocket. The launch is scheduled for July 17 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

To date ULA has a track record of 100% mission success with 139 successful launches.

With more than a century of combined heritage, ULA is the world’s most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully launched more than 135 missions to orbit that provide Earth observation capabilities, enable global communications, unlock the mysteries of our solar system, and support life-saving technology.

For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com
 
I don't understand the fascination with the separation stage of this recent launch. It's not like this is a classified satellite. Amateurs can track the X-37 and always have been able to.
 
In_A_Dream said:
I don't understand the fascination with the separation stage of this recent launch. It's not like this is a classified satellite. Amateurs can track the X-37 and always have been able to.
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It’s not even from this launch as they were showing this clip before this mission launched I believe.
 
Picture of the solar array with earth back beaming HPMW system (small): [@admin : can't upload *.webp* files!].

PRAM consists of a 12-in (30-cm) square tile module with a solar panel and a microwave energy transmitter. Microwaves are used because the idea is to beam energy through Earth's atmosphere, though for other targets, like the Moon, lasers might be applied due to the lack of atmosphere. According to NRL, the goal of the experiment is to study the energy conversion process, thermal performance, and efficiency of the technology.
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X-37B spaceplane experiment to test tech for beaming solar power to Earth

When the US Air Force's X-37B autonomous spaceplane launched into orbit for the sixth time this week, it was carrying an experiment to explore the potential for beaming solar energy from space to Earth. The Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module (PRAM) was built by the US Naval Research…
newatlas.com newatlas.com
 

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Thank you both of you guys. I was on a mobile phone. There was apparently no option to save an image under a new format.
 
Via NSF. Looks like FalconSat-8 has been deployed.

USA 300
NORAD 45610
NSSDC 2020-029B
Orbit classified
 
Wonder if that is related:

SpaceNews
Air Force X-37B spaceplane wins prized aeronautical award
by Sandra Erwin — August 13, 2020
1-879x485.jpeg
X-37B spaceplane. Credit: U.S. Space Force
The National Aeronautic Association awarded the Boeing X-37B the 2019 Robert J. Collier Trophy.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force’s X-37B autonomous spaceplane won the 2019 Collier Trophy, awarded annually by the National Aeronautic Association for American achievement in aviation and space, the NAA announced Aug. 13.
The X-37B was one of nine nominees that included NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the Stratolaunch carrier aircraft. The NAA said the X-37B won for “developing and employing the world’s only reusable, autonomous spaceplane, which logged more than 2,865 days in orbit across five missions, changing access to space and serving as the nation’s workhorse in space experimentation and technology.”
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spacenews.com

Air Force X-37B spaceplane wins prized aeronautical award

The National Aeronautic Association awarded the Boeing X-37B the 2019 Robert J. Collier Trophy.
spacenews.com spacenews.com
 
TomcatViP said:
Wonder if that is related:

SpaceNews
Air Force X-37B spaceplane wins prized aeronautical award
by Sandra Erwin — August 13, 2020
1-879x485.jpeg
X-37B spaceplane. Credit: U.S. Space Force
The National Aeronautic Association awarded the Boeing X-37B the 2019 Robert J. Collier Trophy.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force’s X-37B autonomous spaceplane won the 2019 Collier Trophy, awarded annually by the National Aeronautic Association for American achievement in aviation and space, the NAA announced Aug. 13.
The X-37B was one of nine nominees that included NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the Stratolaunch carrier aircraft. The NAA said the X-37B won for “developing and employing the world’s only reusable, autonomous spaceplane, which logged more than 2,865 days in orbit across five missions, changing access to space and serving as the nation’s workhorse in space experimentation and technology.”
Click to expand...
spacenews.com

Air Force X-37B spaceplane wins prized aeronautical award

The National Aeronautic Association awarded the Boeing X-37B the 2019 Robert J. Collier Trophy.
spacenews.com spacenews.com
Click to expand...

Surprised that the Hubble or the Stratolaunch aircraft never got the award instead of the X-37B, because all of the work that the X-37B has done to date has been in total secrecy.
 
Almost sounds like the USAF don't see much of a future in store for the Space Force...
 
Grey Havoc said:
Almost sounds like the USAF don't see much of a future in store for the Space Force...
Click to expand...

Might also be that the Space Force doesn't have the infrastructure to support a Rapid Capabilities Office-type activity yet. The Space RCO is part of the larger Air Force RCO and it may depend on the larger AF RCO for administrative and budgetary support for now.
 
TomcatViP said:
X-37B demonstrates Laser beaming from space of harvested solar energy (10W):

amp.cnn.com

CNN exclusive: A solar panel in space is collecting energy that could one day be beamed to anywhere on Earth

Scientists working for the Pentagon have successfully tested a solar panel the size of a pizza box in space, designed as a prototype for a future system to send electricity from space back to any point on Earth.
amp.cnn.com amp.cnn.com
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I could imagine the amount of energy generated is pathetic
 
TomcatViP said:
Given the size of the carrying vehicle and the size of the solar arrays it's on the contrary IMO remarkable.
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This doesn't matter since, if understood well, such test is more a demonstrator of feasibility rather than something operational.
Even if such technology was predicted during early 70's of last century, this one should be the very first time that it finds any application.
 
And when they scale it up, unless someplace on Earth volunteers to have their sky obscured by a giant solar panel above, it will be the most effective way to _accelerate_ climate warming: just send to Earth the energy of additional Sun rays that otherwise would have missed it.
There must be some way to compute the pretty direct relantion between the additional solar enrgy sent and the additional warming.

This is surely a great idea to power some space artifact like an orbital colony or whatnot, but if the additional energy is sent down, then there will be consequences...
 
There is no beaming on a solar array inside earth atmosphere. The sun energy is harvested outside of the earth atmosphere on a frequency that is anyway reflected by earth.
Then this photon energy is converted in electricity as it is done with a regular solar array and it's that electricity that is used to beam the energy back on earth through Microwaves (or laser).
 
TomcatViP said:
The sun energy is harvested outside of the earth atmosphere on a frequency that is anyway reflected by earth.
Then this photon energy is converted in electricity as it is done with a regular solar array and it's that electricity that is used to beam the energy back on earth
Click to expand...
Yes, precisely the point that causes more warming: Energy from the Sun that today doesn't make it down into the atmosphere will be inserted into it. The details of the more-or-less circuitous process don't matter. The net result is that Earth atmosphere will in the end receive MORE energy than it did before this harvesting was implemented.

That's simply the most direct way to accelerate global warming.
 
The total energy produced by the human race is fairly inconsequential compared to the energy capture by the earth from the sun. I suspect the effect of reducing CO2 emissions would be much more pronounced than the competing effect of introducing more energy into the system. But I think the goal here isn't to create a brand new orbital power grid; I don't think that the tech would scale well. I think the military interest is providing relatively small amounts of power to remote bases to reduce the logistical burden of transporting fuel. There obviously would be some applications in orbit as well, though in that case you could put the cells directly on the object you want to power and cut out the inefficiencies of converting electricity to microwaves.
 
@dan_inbox : It scales fairly well. Having studied the physics behind and especially the means to efficiently repatriate that energy on earth, I am convinced (and said it already) that extraterrestrial energy harvesting would be one of the major industry in Space.
Once we have those orbital routing points, energy would be beamed from several sources (solar, space nuclear, Lunar nuclear and more) and nurture an ecosystem of midpoint space stations and transportation ways.
 
The energy loss after being transmitted hundreds or thousands of miles I would think would be rather huge. But the reason I think such a system would not scale well is because the entire mass of it would have to be lifted into orbit with current technology. If materials on the moon could be used instead, that would take away the huge energy input of boosting solar cells able to generate gigawatts of power into orbit.
 
Josh_TN said:
I think the goal here isn't to create a brand new orbital power grid; I don't think that the tech would scale well.
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Indeed. This is the origninal point: it cannot scale without serious consequences.
Now, as long as we keep it anecdotal, yes, we can hope that mamma Earth won't notice too soon, and that the consequences will not be too noticeable too soon. (after I retire? after my second term?)

Still, remains that on the principle, this is simply the most direct way to accelerate global warming. Big or small acceleration, we can choose the scale.


And yes, there is no doubt that it can come in handy in some cases, like remote disaster sites, military adventures, or maybe even darker applications such as frying somebody's critical stuff.
It's just not a safe answer to "very significant energy needs". This would just as "very significantly" accelerate warming.

EDIT:
TomcatViP said:
Once we have those orbital routing points, energy would be beamed from several sources (solar, space nuclear, Lunar nuclear and more) and nurture an ecosystem of midpoint space stations and transportation ways.
Click to expand...
Yes, as long as you leave the harvested energy in the outer space, there is no problem. The overwarming happens only if you bring it back down into the atmosphere (=the overheating pot)


Maybe I gave the wrong impression: this tech is a great opportunity, for all the applications that keep the extra energy outside of Earth. And for anecdotal-critical emergency applications in it.

I just wanted to dispell the idea that it could be "very significant for our energy needs" down here on Earth. Elsewhere, yes.
 
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dan_inbox said:
TomcatViP said:
The sun energy is harvested outside of the earth atmosphere on a frequency that is anyway reflected by earth.
Then this photon energy is converted in electricity as it is done with a regular solar array and it's that electricity that is used to beam the energy back on earth
Click to expand...
Yes, precisely the point that causes more warming: Energy from the Sun that today doesn't make it down into the atmosphere will be inserted into it. The details of the more-or-less circuitous process don't matter. The net result is that Earth atmosphere will in the end receive MORE energy than it did before this harvesting was implemented.

That's simply the most direct way to accelerate global warming.
Click to expand...
The energy involved would be more than offset from the loss of whatever energy source would have been providing the energy in it's absence.

Anyway, the bigger orbital panel ideas involve using microwaves to transmit the power, and they are hardly absorbed in our atmosphere at all.
 
starviking said:
The energy involved would be more than offset from the loss of whatever energy source would have been providing the energy in it's absence.
Click to expand...
From a Thermodynamics point of view, this is not true. More energy has been introduced into the system, period.
Here "the system" is spaceship Earth.

starviking said:
using microwaves to transmit the power, and they are hardly absorbed in our atmosphere at all.
Click to expand...
From a Thermodynamics point of view again, this is not relevant. More energy gets introduced into the system, and that's going to accelerate the warming. Whether this energy gets absorbed first in the atmosphere or in some receiver antenna, that will modify which component of the system gets it first. But for the system as a whole, it makes no difference.
 

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