Pentagon announces new mission for secretive X-37B space plane
- Hi-tech drone to be sent back into orbit this month, US Air Force says
- Reusable spacecraft’s last mission took 780 days, and it returned to Earth in October
The US Air Force said on Wednesday it would be sending its hi-tech X-37B space drone back into orbit this month – the sixth trip for the reusable vehicle that manoeuvres around the Earth on secretive missions.
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, which looks like a small version of the manned space shuttles retired in 2011, will be launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida on May 16, the Air Force said.
Once in orbit, it will deploy a small FalconSat-8 research satellite and, for the first time, also carry a service module that will expand its capacity for experiments.
Experiments carried by the spacecraft include tests for Nasa of the impact of radiation on seeds and other materials.
Another test for US Navy researchers involves transforming solar power into radio frequency microwave energy, which could then be transmitted to the ground, according to a statement.
