45th Space Wing launched 5th Orbital Test Vehicle Mission

The 45th Space Wing successfully launched a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle at 10 a.m. on Sept. 7, 2017, from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A.

At approximately eight minutes after the launch, SpaceX successfully landed the Falcon 9 first-stage booster at Landing Zone 1 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The Falcon 9 rocket carried into orbit an X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), marking the fifth space flight for the X-37B program and its first onboard a Falcon 9.

Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, 45th Space Wing commander thanked the entire OTV-5 mission team for their efforts in ensuring a successful launch.

"I'm incredibly proud of the 45th Space Wing's contributions to the X-37B program," Monteith said. "This marks the fifth successful launch of the OTV and its first onboard a Falcon 9. A strong relationship with our mission partners, such as the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, is vital toward maintaining the Eastern Range as the World's Premiere Gateway to Space."

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is led by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office with its operations overseen by Air Force Space Command's 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron. The OTV is designed to demonstrate reusable spacecraft technologies for America's future in space and operate experiments, which can be returned to and examined on Earth.

A skywatcher in the Netherlands was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to see the U.S. Air Force's supersecret X-37B space plane on April 11, or that's the likeliest identity of the bright moving spot in the sky anyway.

X-37B breaks record, lands after 780 days in orbit

The Air Force's X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Mission 5 successfully landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility Oct. 27, 2019 at 3:51 a.m. EDT [0751 GMT].

Above: The Air Force's X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Mission 5 successfully landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility Oct. 27, 2019. The X-37B OTV is an experimental test program to demonstrate technologies for a reliable, reusable, unmanned space test platform for the U.S. Air Force.

The spaceplane conducted on-orbit experiments for 780 days during its mission, recently breaking its own record by being in orbit for more than two years. As of today, the total number of days spent on-orbit for the entire test vehicle program is 2,865 days.

"The X-37B continues to demonstrate the importance of a reusable spaceplane," said Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett. "Each successive mission advances our nation's space capabilities."

This is the Air Force's premier reusable and unmanned spacecraft, providing the performance and flexibility to improve technologies in a way that allows scientists and engineers to recover experiments tested in a long-duration space environment.

"The safe return of this spacecraft, after breaking its own endurance record, is the result of the innovative partnership between government and industry," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein. "The sky is no longer the limit for the Air Force and, if Congress approves, the U.S. Space Force."

Managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, the X-37B program performs risk reduction, experimentation and concept of operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies.

"This program continues to push the envelope as the world's only reusable space vehicle. With a successful landing today, the X-37B completed its longest flight to date and successfully completed all mission objectives," said Randy Walden, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director. "This mission successfully hosted Air Force Research Laboratory experiments, among others, as well as providing a ride for small satellites."

The distinctive ability to test new systems in space and return them to Earth is unique to the X-37B program and enables the U.S. to more efficiently and effectively develop space capabilities necessary to maintain superiority in the space domain.

Above: The Air Force's X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Mission 5 successfully landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility Oct. 27, 2019. The X-37B OTV is an experimental test program to demonstrate technologies for a reliable, reusable, unmanned space test platform for the U.S. Air Force.

"This spacecraft is a key component of the space community. This milestone demonstrates our commitment to conducting experiments for America's future space exploration," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Keen, X-37B program manager. "Congratulations to the X-37B team for a job well done."

This will be the second time the X-37B landed at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility--Mission 4 landed after 718 days in orbit. The spaceplane was designed for an on-orbit duration of 270 days.

"Today marks an incredibly exciting day for the 45th Space Wing," said Brig. Gen. Doug Schiess, 45th Space Wing commander. "Our team has been preparing for this event, and I am extremely proud to see their hard work and dedication culminate in today's safe and successful landing of the X-37B."

The fifth mission launched on Sept. 7, 2017 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on-board a Space X Falcon 9 booster, and the U.S. Air Force is preparing to launch the sixth X-37B mission from CCAFS in 2020.

This time, it's different. Admittedly, we still have photos of the spacecraft after landing, but they are far more restricted than ever before. The US Air Force Web site and an affiliated site contain just two images of the latest landing. No video of the landing has been released, either, which is also a departure from earlier trends.

Curiously, the images do not give any proper views of the rear of the spacecraft. By not showing certain things, the USAF is hinting that something unusual is there.

The USAF has now released a partial view of the X-37B's backside. But even so, it's still not the full rear view we would like to see. The back panel is partially obscured by two people in hazardous environment suits, clearly tending to the vehicle.

They prevent us from seeing part of the area where a mounting bracket or target could be located. But all things considered, we can tell that most of the back panel looks pretty much the same as it always has.

They prevent us from seeing part of the area where a mounting bracket or target could be located...