On May 17, 2020 at 13:14 UTC the “Atlas-5” rocket was launched from SLC-41 of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The launch was performed by United Launch Alliance. The rocket orbited the U.S. Air Force’s X-37B (mission OTV-6) spaceplane. The flight is the 6th time one of the Air Force’s two X-37B spaceplanes. OTV means the Orbital Test Vehicle. No details about the spaceplane’s altitude or orbital parameters were released for this mission. Shrouded in secrecy, the automated X-37B spaceplane is a reusable vehicle designed to deploy small satellites, host experiments, and pursue other classified objectives. Flying without any astronauts on-board, the vehicle generates electricity with a solar array and can autonomously guide itself to a runway landing at the end of each mission. The Air Force has disclosed it has two X-37B vehicles in its inventory, and both were built by Boeing. Officials have not confirmed which X-37B vehicle was launched on May 17. Attachments: |