Secrets in orbit: X‑37B's mission continues to raise questions
The American space shuttle X-37B, which has been in space since December 2023 as part of its seventh mission, remains shrouded in mystery. Americans do not disclose its true purpose while in orbit, nor what data it collects. Recently, however, they shared a photo that is apparently the first officially published photograph taken in space by X-37B.
The photo was released by the United States Space Force and published on February 20th through the DVIDS (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service) website, which provides information, photos, videos, and audio materials about operations conducted by the American military worldwide. The photo was taken using a camera on board the X-37B. Its task is to monitor the current condition of the shuttle.
X-37B orbiting
The Aviationist noted that the photographs were intentionally posted online in low resolution and apparently altered digitally in some way. It cannot be ruled out that such manipulations were intended to protect the secrets of the X-37B. However, a detailed analysis of the photo allows us to see that it was taken during the shuttle's passage over Africa. In addition to a piece of our planet, it also shows part of the X-37B's structure, likely its cargo bay, as well as one of its solar panels.
The unmanned X-37B shuttle began its seventh mission in orbit on December 28, 2023. The vehicle was launched into space for the first time using a Falcon Heavy rocket, owned by SpaceX. At the time, the US Space Force stated, "The X-37B 7 mission, also known as OTV-7, will expand the United States Space Force's knowledge of the space environment through experiments with future technologies. These tests are essential to ensure safe, stable, and secure operations in space for all users of the domain."
The Chief of Space Operations, Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, stated that these are "groundbreaking" experiments and explained, "The X-37B continues to equip the United States with knowledge that will enhance current and future space operations. The X-37B 7 mission demonstrates USSF's commitment to innovation and defining the art of what is possible in the space domain." The official communication from the US Space Force also indicated that one of the experiments aboard the X-37B is "Seeds-2," aimed at exposing plant seeds to harsh radiation conditions during long-term space flights, which may aid future crewed space missions.
Mysterious US space shuttle
The Boeing X-37B is an American reusable unmanned space shuttle designed to test new technologies in space. Its development began at the turn of the 21st century, and the first orbital flight took place in 2010. Initially, the project was led by NASA and DARPA (known, among other things, for the ARPANET project, the precursor of today's Internet), but it was later taken over by the United States Department of Defense.
The mystery surrounding the X-37B stems from the fact that most of its missions are classified, which leads to numerous speculations about its true purpose. Some theories even suggest that the shuttle may have spying functions, test new military technologies, or even act as a platform for intercepting or destroying enemy satellites. The lack of official information about the objectives of individual missions only fuels these speculations.
It is also worth mentioning that China developed its own reusable unmanned space shuttle in response to the American X-37B program. The Chinese vehicle, often compared to the X-37B, also conducts classified missions, and the details of its activities remain undisclosed. In this case, experts also speculate that the Chinese shuttle may serve to test new space technologies and military purposes, such as Earth observation or potential anti-satellite operations.
