X-37B launching on a Falcon Heavy 12/10/2023

[aerostadt]

Sounds like the Falcon Heavy with the X-37B is coming up soon.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/28/world/spacex-x37b-space-plane-military-scn/index.html
https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/12/...alcon-heavy-rocket-x-37b-military-spaceplane/

 

[MClark]

 

[kuririn]

Launch


27 burning


Boost back burn


Entry burn


Landing burn


Yowzer.

 

[BEC]

Indeed.

 

[aerostadt]

I missed the Live coverage, but I watched the re-run of the launch. It was fun to see the two boosters tail numbers B1064 and B1065 land at Cape Canaveral in the dark. In a couple of hours Space-X is going to launch another Star Link mission. Space-X is having a busy night.

 

[BEC]

And the Starlink mission appears to have gone off just fine....well, the very short second burn of the second stage and the satellite deployment hasn't happened yet, but the booster is back on the drone ship and everything seems to have gone well. Yes, indeed, a busy night for SpaceX. One more Starlink, this time from Vandenburg, on Saturday to wrap up their very busy year. (Well, they get back to it on January 3rd).

 

[Spacedog49Krell]

I wonder what they are learning from the 1-3-1 booster landing sequence. Testing how much fuel they can save with the faster and shorter deceleration landing? Did they need the extra seconds of side booster burn for increased deltaV for the X-37B orbit?

 

[Grog6]

I noticed the heavy thing too. They launched the orbiter before with an f9.
The FH is LEO 140,660 lb ; PAYLOAD TO GTO, 26,700 kg / 58,860 lb,vs 22,800 kg / 50,265 lbto LEO for F9.
Does that mean the payload bay of the obriter will hold a 90,000lb satellite?
Hmmm.

 

[cvanc]

What orbit did it get delivered to? What does the orbit tell us?

 

[Spacedog49Krell]

What orbit did it get delivered to? What does the orbit tell us?

The orbit was classified, but I have contacts with amateur astronomers and radio satellite trackers that will soon have the orbit details.

 

[NTP2]

I noticed the heavy thing too. They launched the orbiter before with an f9.
The FH is LEO 140,660 lb ; PAYLOAD TO GTO, 26,700 kg / 58,860 lb,vs 22,800 kg / 50,265 lbto LEO for F9.
Does that mean the payload bay of the obriter will hold a 90,000lb satellite?
Hmmm.

Maybe more delta V?

The orbit was classified, but I have contacts with amateur astronomers and radio satellite trackers that will soon have the orbit details.

Space nerds are obsessed aren’t we!

 

[cvanc]

I'm not sure what orbits this thing has visited before, but here's the start.