USA-299
X-37B that conducted OTV-6 shortly after it landed on 12 November 2022
NamesOrbital Test Vehicle 6
OTV-6
Mission typeU.S. Space Force classified satellite
OperatorUnited States Space Force
COSPAR ID2020-029A
SATCAT no.45606
Mission duration908 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeBoeing X-37B
ManufacturerBoeing
Launch mass5,400 kg (11,900 lb)[1]
PowerDeployable solar array, batteries
Start of mission
Launch date17 May 2020, 13:14:00 UTC
RocketAtlas V 501 (AV-081)
Launch siteCape Canaveral, SLC-41
ContractorUnited Launch Alliance
End of mission
Landing date12 November 2022, 10:22 UTC
Landing siteShuttle Landing Facility Runway 33
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Perigee altitude388 km (241 mi)
Apogee altitude404 km (251 mi)
Inclination44.60°
OTV program
 

USA-299, also referred to as USSF-7 and Orbital Test Vehicle 6 (OTV-6), is the third flight of the first Boeing X-37B, an American unmanned vertical-takeoff, horizontal-landing spaceplane. It was launched to low Earth orbit aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle from SLC-41 on 17 May 2020. Its mission designation is part of the USA series.

The spaceplane is operated by the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office[2] and United States Space Force, which considers the mission classified and as such has not revealed the objectives. However an unclassified secondary satellite, FalconSat-8, was deployed from the X-37B soon after launch.[3]

Mission

OTV-6 is the third mission for the first X-37B built, and the sixth X-37B mission overall. It flew on an Atlas V in the 501 configuration, and launched from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 41.[4] This flight is the first time the space plane has been equipped with a service module to carry additional pieces for experiments.

OTV-6 was deployed into an orbit with an inclination of approximately 44.60°.[5]

OTV-6 landed after a record-breaking 908 days at the Shuttle Landing Facility on November 12, 2022.[6]

FalconSat-8

A rideshare payload for the United States Air Force Academy, FalconSat-8, was deployed from the X-37B a few days into the mission. The satellite provides a platform for the academy's Cadet Space Operations Squadron to test various technologies.

Onboard experiments include:

  • MEP (Magnetic gradient Electrostatic Plasma thruster), a novel electromagnetic propulsion system
  • MMA (Metamaterial antenna), a low power, high performance antenna
  • CANOE (CArbon NanOtubes Experiment)
  • ACES (Attitude Control and Energy Storage), a commercial reaction wheel modified into a flywheel
  • SkyPad, off-the-shelf cameras and GPUs integrated into a low power package

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle 6.
  1. ↑ "X-37B OTV 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6". Gunter's Space Page. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  2. ↑ "Department of the Air Force scheduled to launch seventh X-37B mission". United States Space Force. 8 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  3. ↑ "FalconSat 8". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  4. ↑ Graham, William (16 May 2020). "ULA Atlas V launches sixth mission for X-37B spaceplane". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  5. ↑ "OTV-6 Launch". zarya.info. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  6. ↑ Wall, Mike (12 November 2022). "US military's X-37B space plane lands, ending record-breaking mystery mission". space.com. Space.com. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
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