NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

USSF-7 (OTV-6)

Launch Time
Sun May 17, 2020 13:14 UTC

Rocket

Atlas V 501
Image Credit: ULA
ULA
Status: Retired
Price: $120.0 million
Liftoff Thrust: 3,826 kN
Payload to LEO: 8,210 kg
Payload to GTO: 3,780 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 62.2 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.4 m
Fairing Height: 26.5 m

Vehicles

Kennedy SLF Runway 15

Vehicle 1

Flight #3
2714 day turnaround

Mission Details

OTV-6 (X-37B)

AKA USA-299

The Boeing X-37, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), is a reusable uncrewed spacecraft. It is boosted into space by a launch vehicle, then re-enters Earth's atmosphere and lands as a spaceplane. The X-37 is operated by the United States Air Force for orbital spaceflight missions intended to demonstrate reusable space technologies. It is a 120%-scaled derivative of the earlier Boeing X-40.

The spacecraft successfully landed at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility on November 12, 2022, at 5:22 AM EST, 10:22 AM UTC. The spacecraft spent 908 days in orbit, its longest flight yet.

Manufacturer: Boeing
Operator: USSF
Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 4,990.0 kg
Low Earth Orbit

FalconSAT-8

FalconSAT-8 launched as a hosted experiment with the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV). The satellite remained attached to the OTV’s service module until it was deployed in October 2021. FalconSAT-8 hosts five experiments. The Magnetogradient Electrostatic Plasma thruster (MEP), the Metamaterials Antenna (MMA), the Carbon Nanotube Experiment (CANOE), the Attitude Control and Energy Storage (ACES) , and SkyPad.

Manufacturer/Operator: U.S. Air Force Academy
Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 136.0 kg
Low Earth Orbit

USA-300

USA-300 likely is a small satellite that was deployed from the X-37B's payload bay shortly after launch.

Payloads: 1
Low Earth Orbit

Location

SLC-41, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Stats

2020

32nd orbital launch attempt

United Launch Alliance

139th mission
3rd mission of 2020
138th successful mission
134th consecutive successful mission

Atlas V

84th mission
3rd mission of 2020
83rd successful mission
74th consecutive successful mission