NSSDCA/COSPAR ID: 2020-029A
X-37B (USA 299), also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), is a reusable robotic spacecraft. It is boosted into space by a launch vehicle, then re-enters Earth's atmosphere and lands as a spaceplane. While the X-37B's exact purpose is a secret, Space Force officials have revealed that the craft is packing numerous experiments on this trip to test out different systems in space. Some of those experiments include a small satellite called FalconSat-8, two NASA payloads designed to study the effects of radiation on different materials as well as seeds to grow food, and a power-beaming experiment using microwave energy.
Launch Date: 2020-05-17
Launch Vehicle: Atlas V
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States
Mass: 5400 kg
Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office