Falcon Heavy’s launch of the USSF-52 from Clearwater, FL – 12/28/23 #spacex #elonmusk #falconheavy
Mission to orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
USSF-52 also referred to as Orbital Test Vehicle 7, holds the title of the fifth launch and landing of these Falcon Heavy side boosters, which previously supported USSF-44, USSF-67, Hughes JUPTER 3, and NASA’s Psyche mission. Following booster separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
What is the purpose of this launch?!
Operational Test Vehicle 7 — carries several U.S. military and NASA science experiments. The Air Force, in partnership with the Space Force, operates two X-37B spacecraft made by Boeing.
The target orbit for this mission is classified. Space watchers estimate that based on navigational warnings and the fact that it’s launching on a heavy rocket, the plane is headed to a highly elliptical, high inclination orbit, to a much higher altitude than previous missions. The X-37B is highly maneuverable, can change its orbit rapidly, making it difficult to track.
COMSPOC, a firm that tracks space objects, has developed video scenarios that illustrate what the X-37B space vehicle may look like in low orbit and highly elliptical orbit.
The 29-foot-long spaceplane will conduct a wide range of tests, including operating in new orbital regimes, experimenting with space domain awareness technologies, and investigating the radiation effects on materials provided by NASA, the Space Force said.
It carries NASA’s Seeds-2 mission, which will expose plant seeds to harsh radiation environments. Additionally, this mission will deploy the FalconSat-8 — a small satellite developed by the United States Air Force Academy for scientific experiments.
Watch the full launch broadcast from Space X here:
https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1ynKOyeDmrwJR?s=20
#SpaceX #Lauch #RocketLaunch #FalconHeavy #ElonMusk
Video Link & Channel Link
Views: 101 on 2023-12-28 23:21:33
Time: 00:02:23
Keywords: Clearwater Florida