A spaceship recently crashed in Florida, causing great surprise among locals.
The secret military aircraft was an automated US Space Force X-37B spaceship.
It hit the ground early Saturday morning, causing Florida locals to believe it was a UFO due to the sound of sonic booms.
After an unprecedented 908 days in orbit the classified space craft touched down with a massive boom.
The Boeing-built #X37B has landed at @NASAKennedy, marking the completion of its sixth mission with the @SpaceForceDoD. The award-winning spaceplane broke yet another endurance record, spending 908 days on orbit.
Release: https://t.co/xMvHGxqlwA pic.twitter.com/EeSiR2hDQB
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) November 12, 2022
Spacecraft Touches Down
The solar-powered vehicle, resembling a miniature spacecraft, touched down at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 5:15 a.m. on Saturday. The previous mission duration was 780 days.
Some Central Floridians feared for their lives after hearing a tremendous sonic boom and feeling their homes shake when the spacecraft unexpectedly returned to Earth.
The explosion was audible from Titusville to Kissimmee; a massive sonic boom blasts through the night in Orlando.
The Space Force later reported that the spacecraft safely deorbited at 5:22 a.m.
During its nearly three-year voyage, the spacecraft held a command module that conducted research for the Naval Experimental Laboratory, US Air Force Academy, and others for the first time.
Before deorbiting, the component detached from the vehicle to ensure a secure landing.
Among the tests was the FalconSat-8 satellite, which was designed and constructed by academy cadets in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory. It was launched in October 2021 and continues to circle the earth.
Tests Are Being Done
Another experiment examined the impact of prolonged exposure to space on seeds.
According to the military, the seeds trial will influence the production of space crops for future interplanetary trips and the development of permanently occupied space bases.
As per Space Force, the experiment conducted by the Naval Research Laboratory “effectively harnessed sun rays outside of Earth ‘s orbit and attempted to convey electricity to the ground through the use of radio frequency microwave radiation.”
US military's X-37B space plane lands, ending record-breaking mystery mission https://t.co/20AfV8A7ik pic.twitter.com/A9oXEkZs9K
— SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom) November 12, 2022
What’s the Point of These Missions?
The mission demonstrates the Space Force’s emphasis on collaboration in space travel and providing low-cost access to space for global partners outside the Ministry of the Air Force, according to Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations.
Since its initial launch in 2010, the X-37B has broken records and offered the United States with an unequaled capability to rapidly test and integrate new space technology, according to Boeing executive vice president Jim Chilton.
The spacecraft is powered by solar cells and lithium-ion batteries, and it was orbiting at a height of approximately 200 miles.
The duration of the first mission in 2010 was 224 days, the duration of the second mission in 2011 was 468 days, and the duration of the mission that concluded in 2019 was 780 days.
The X-37Be has already traveled over 1,300,000,000 miles and spent 3,774 days in space.
The Air Force generally maintains strict secrecy regarding the spacecraft’s cargo, but made an exception for its most recent flight.
The military panel also discussed the 2019 mission of the craft.
The group stated that the X-37B was equipped with an Air Force Research Laboratory-built Advanced Structurally Embedded Thermal Spreader.
In accordance with the AFRL, the primary science objectives of the payload are to characterize initial on-orbit thermal efficiency, long-duration thermal performance, and any lifetime decline.
Another individual posted an FAA map indicating that the spaceship had grounded in Central Florida.
Five prior X-37B missions have been conducted by Atlas 5 rockets from United Launch Alliance.
On long-duration journeys in Earth orbit, the unmanned spacecraft has always transported a mysterious payload.
It is their intention to continue developing the X-37B OTV so that it can better serve the expanding space community.
This article appeared in NewsHouse and has been published here with permission.
