X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV)

Short of good management oversight. (When the vehicle was horizontal.)
 
Dagger said:
Strange that it now has the new USSF logo on the fuselage but still has USAF on the wing.
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I’m guessing the fuselage had reentry scorching and the wing didn’t, so only one surface was repainted.
 
1/x
Navigational Warnings have appeared which I believe are for the USSF-52 #OTV7 X-37B mission.
They point to (initial) launch into a 48.25 degree inclined orbit.
Map depicts 185 km parking orbit variant and direct 185 x 35188 Km insertion variant
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1732391895144321252
View: https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/1732391895144321252?t=Fz3J9HO6b8yl83nYxortiw&s=19


2/x
There is a possibility that at soime point it makes a dogleg into a ~64 degree HEO orbit
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3/x
A second possibly related Navigational Warning has appeared for what is likely the 2nd stage disposal.
The shape and location does indicate a dogleg to a high inclination. #USSF52 #OTV7 #X37B
Will analyse further later today.
@planet4589 @DutchSpace
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1732717473118453919
View: https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/1732717473118453919
 
What is a "dogleg to a high insertion"? Is he suggesting that the orbit will be highly eccentric? In that case, would the perigee perhaps allow for small amounts of drag that pull the apogee down over the course of 2-3 years? I'm so curious what its final orbit will look like, packing all that heat compared to previous missions.
 
Launch on Falcon---everyone knows your path. Falcon Heavy? The upper stage now lets you throw off onlookers...a bit.
 
Launch is waiting on the weather forecast and very likely to slip from the 10th December.
 
Josh_TN said:
What is a "dogleg to a high insertion"? Is he suggesting that the orbit will be highly eccentric? In that case, would the perigee perhaps allow for small amounts of drag that pull the apogee down over the course of 2-3 years? I'm so curious what its final orbit will look like, packing all that heat compared to previous missions.
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A dogleg trajectory changes the orbital inclination (how North-South is is) between the initial launch trajectory and orbital insertion. It doesn't directly impact the altitude or eccentricity (except that it eats energy ). The most common use is to get to a more polar orbit without overflying inhabited territory early in flight.
 
TomS said:
A dogleg trajectory changes the orbital inclination (how North-South is is) between the initial launch trajectory and orbital insertion. It doesn't directly impact the altitude or eccentricity (except that it eats energy ). The most common use is to get to a more polar orbit without overflying inhabited territory early in flight.
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Ah, thanks. I could see how that would be energy intensive.
 
Byeman said:
That makes no sense. Two different vehicles. It is like stating that a Cygnus would be a successor to Starlink spacecraft
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For those that need it spelled out, Cygnus is a pressurized module that carries experiments internally and can only subject them to zero g. Dreamchaser does the same thing with the additional ability to return back to earth. X-37 carries experiments in an unpressurized bay that once on orbit is exposed to space (vacuum and viewing). Much like any other spacecraft bus (Starlink, A2100, BSS 702, etc) but with the ability to return.
 
Now this is probably a stupid post (never stopped me before)---but with Falcon dialed in...could it be the real reason was to let the Chinese space plane launch first, such that its trajectory was known?

Titans were loaded fastest, but how fast could FH be rolled back....fueled then launched under cover of darkness?

"The NOTAM paper was stuck in the bell."

--but you don't use paper any-

"Dismissed!"
 
publiusr said:
Now this is probably a stupid post (never stopped me before)---but with Falcon dialed in...could it be the real reason was to let the Chinese space plane launch first, such that its trajectory was known?

Titans were loaded fastest, but how fast could FH be rolled back....fueled then launched under cover of darkness?
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No.
A. What does it mean "with Falcon dialed in"?
b. Can't change trajectory that fast
c. And a FH wouldn't be use
d. Move to the pad takes a day. It is not a quick operation
e, Prop loading takes less than two hours.
f. Which Titans were loaded fast? Titan I? It is small compared to a F9.
g. How many people do you think understood the NOTAM reference?
 
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, December 28 at 8:07 p.m. ET for Falcon Heavy’s launch of the USSF-52 mission to orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A backup launch opportunity is available at 8:06 p.m. ET on Friday, December 29.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about fifteen minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.

This will be the fifth launch and landing of these 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 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
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Broadcast link: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1ynKOyeDmrwJR
 
Well as soon as they launched they will no longer be able to keep the real orbit secret. And we will be able to speculate even more.
 
Maybe a bit harder to do. There were two launches...do we know for a fact what was in either of those shrouds?

That FH got off the pad faster than shuttle from the looks of it...just eyeballing things.
 
Reported by the bleep bleep cee and no recognition of the nonsense they were spouting as a "Space Plane" launch.

If this were not the usual state of?accuracy? it would be embarrassing.
 
Watched booster landings from the Hangar C parking lot. It was a clear night but you can’t track the boosters between burns unlike daylight launches. The boosters made jellyfish plumes during boost back and then were invisible until entry burn directly overhead. Then we lost them and started looking towards the landing zone and were not disappointed. Loud sonic booms followed by loud engine roars. We were only 1.75 miles from the landing zone.

And if you are really nice, I can take some people there.
 
So, to spoof Lalo Salamanca (talking about Werner Zieeeegler) "The X-37B. What's it up to man ? What's it doing high there ?"
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1740798735834390877
View: https://twitter.com/boeingspace/status/1740798735834390877


Success!

#X37B will build on its more than 3,774 days in space and 1.3 billion miles traveled during #OTV7 for the @SpaceForceDoD.

Read more about how this mission will contribute to long-term sustainability in orbit.
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boeing.mediaroom.com

Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Embarks on Seventh Mission

The Boeing [NYSE: BA]-built X-37B autonomous spaceplane launched yesterday aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, marking the beginning of its seventh mission. "The X-37B government and Boeing teams...
boeing.mediaroom.com boeing.mediaroom.com
 

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