#FalconSat-8

[weirdsatellites]

Manifest #736 from FalconSAT-8 (UNCLASSIFIED) 1. Flood of Recursion 2. Pile of Verisimilitudes 3. Colossal Mausoleum of Uranium

[usafphantom2]

USAF Department program launch of the seventh mission of the X-37B spacecraft

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 11/09/2023 - 17:00in Space

The U.S. Air Force Office of Rapid Capabilities Department, in partnership with the United States Space Force, is scheduled to launch the seventh mission of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on December 7, 2023 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Mission 7 of the X-37B will be launched for the first time on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, designated USSF-52, with a wide range of test and experimentation objectives. These tests include the operation of the reusable space plane in new orbital regimes, the experimentation of future space domain recognition technologies and the investigation of the effects of radiation on materials provided by NASA.

"We are excited to expand the range of the X-37B's reusable capabilities, using the flight-proven service module and the Falcon Heavy rocket to perform several cutting-edge experiments for the Air Force Department and its partners," said Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Fritschen, Director of the X-37B Program.

The X-37B Mission 7, also known as OTV-7, will expand the United States Space Force's knowledge of the space environment, experimenting with future space domain recognition technologies. These tests are essential to ensure safe, stable and secure operations in space for all domain users.

Head of Space Operations, General B. Chance Saltzman hailed these experiments as "innovators," saying: "The X-37B continues to equip the United States with the knowledge to improve current and future space operations. Mission 7 of the X-37B demonstrates the commitment of the USSF to innovation and the definition of the art of the possible in the space domain."

The NASA experiment on board will expose plant seeds to the hostile radiation environment of long-term spaceflight. Known as "Seeds-2", the experiment will be based on the success of previous experiments, paving the way for future manned space missions.

Previously, Mission 6 of the X-37B was the first mission to introduce a service module that expanded the capabilities of the spacecraft and allowed it to host more experiments than any of the previous missions. The spacecraft carried the experiment of the Photovoltaic Radio Frequency Antenna Module of the Naval Research Laboratory, which transformed solar energy into radio frequency microwave energy, and two NASA experiments to study the results of radiation and other spatial effects on a sample plate of materials and seeds used to grow food. Mission 6 of the X-37B also deployed the FalconSat-8, a small satellite developed by the U.S. Air Force Academy and sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The Director of DAF RCO, William D. Bailey praised the collaborative partnership with the industry, noting: “The X-37B government and Boeing teams worked together to produce a more agile, flexible and adaptive experimentation platform. The work they have done to streamline processes and adapt evolving technologies will help our nation learn a lot about how to operate and return from a space environment."

Tags: BoeingSpaceUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air ForceX-37B

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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