China, Don't Move?…US Reveals Latest Status of 'Secret Space Weapon' [Reading Science]

US Space Force's X-37B Breaks Stay Record with 7 Days Remaining
773 Days 'In Operation' Since Orbiting in May 2020
Mission 'Classified' Except for Some Disclosed Scientific Experiments
US Space Force Describes It Only as "Space Combat Operation"

The small unmanned space shuttle X-37B, a secret space weapon of the United States Space Force.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] "What has the United States' 'secret' space shuttle been doing in Earth's orbit for over two years?"

Recently, there was an incident where Chinese and American military and intelligence satellites were chasing each other in outer space. In February, China's satellite Shijian-21 and others demonstrated their capability to locate enemy satellites in space, approach them, and potentially disable or cause them to crash, raising tensions with the United States. Amid this situation, the U.S. has drawn attention by openly revealing the current status of its own 'secret space weapon.'

The small unmanned space shuttle X-37B, used by the U.S. for secret missions, is expected to soon break the single-mission longest record of 780 days in Earth's orbit, according to space news outlet Space.com on the 28th (local time).

The X-37B, a small unmanned space shuttle manufactured by American aerospace company Boeing, is currently known to be used by the U.S. Space Force for secret missions. Since launching into Earth's orbit on May 17, 2020, for its sixth mission (Orbital Test Vehicle-6, OTV-6), it has been on mission for 773 days as of this date. This is just one week short of the 780-day orbital stay record set during its previous fifth mission. Space.com reported, "The operation of the X-37B is conducted by the Delta-9 unit, established under the U.S. Space Force in July 2020," adding, "There is no information yet on when or where it will land."

The X-37B is a special space shuttle whose purpose is largely classified except for some known details. For example, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) once conducted an experiment by equipping the X-37B with a solar power satellite, converting the generated power into microwaves, and transmitting it to Earth. Additionally, the sixth mission included deploying the FalconSat-8, a technology experiment satellite developed by the U.S. Air Force. It is also known to have conducted research on growing edible plants in microgravity commissioned by NASA. For these experiments, the X-37B carried specially designed modules attached to the rear of the vehicle while in orbit.

The small unmanned spaceplane X-37B unveiled by the US Space Force.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Space Force explicitly states on its official website that the mission of the Delta-9 unit is 'military.' The Space Force explains, "The mission of the Delta-9 unit is to prepare, deploy, and plan forces for protection and defense operations, and to provide response options to deter and defeat threats in orbit when necessary," adding, "By conducting specialized operations during space-based combat, it supports securing the space domain and carries out necessary technology and orbital experiments for the Space Force."

The U.S. Space Force owns two X-37B shuttles manufactured by Boeing, which operate similarly to the space shuttles previously used by NASA. That is, they are launched vertically by rocket and land smoothly on a runway like a conventional aircraft. Measuring only about 8.8 meters in length, the X-37B is much smaller compared to the space shuttle (approximately 37 meters). Therefore, unlike the manned space shuttles, it is operated unmanned.

Boeing, the manufacturer, describes the X-37B as "the most advanced spacecraft in the world, designed to orbit in low Earth orbit (240?800 km)," and explains, "It is the first vehicle since the space shuttle capable of conducting various long-term experiments and missions in space and returning the results."