The Space Force’s X-37B experimental spacecraft is preparing to undertake a series of unique maneuvers aimed at safely disposing of its service module, which carries extra payloads. This announcement comes as one of the rare public communications regarding the activities of the enigmatic spaceplane.
According to the Space Force, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-7) will initiate a series of maneuvers known as aerobraking to alter its orbit around Earth and responsibly dispose of its service module components, adhering to established standards for space debris management.
Aerobraking involves utilizing the drag created by Earth’s atmosphere to decelerate a spacecraft, allowing it to transition into a lower orbit without exclusively relying on its propulsion engines. This process resembles a series of spiraling orbits that ultimately lead to a decreased orbital altitude, similar to coins spiraling down a wishing well.
The maneuver enables the spacecraft to change orbits while minimizing fuel consumption, according to the Space Force’s release.
Launched into a highly elliptical orbit (HEO) on December 28, 2023, the X-37B OTV-7 is conducting various tests, including operating the reusable spaceplane in new orbital regimes, experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies, and studying the radiation effects on materials supplied by NASA. Previous missions were conducted in low Earth orbit (LEO).
After completing the aerobraking maneuver, the X-37B will continue its testing and experimental objectives until they are fulfilled, as stated by the Space Force. When asked for specific details regarding the trajectory of these maneuvers, a Space Force representative refrained from providing additional information.
For safe deorbiting, the service module must be positioned in LEO at a sufficiently low altitude to permit it to descend into Earth’s atmosphere due to atmospheric drag. Current U.S. debris mitigation standards require defunct spacecraft in lower orbits to be placed on trajectories that ensure deorbiting within 25 years, while the Federal Communications Commission is pushing for a reduced timeframe of five years.
Aerobraking will facilitate the spaceplane’s transition from HEO to a stable LEO position for the ejection of the service module, which is attached to the rear of the X-37B to accommodate additional cargo. Following ejection, the module will incinerate upon re-entering the atmosphere. In a previous mission, the reusable spaceplane merely jettisoned the module as it began its deorbit maneuvers to ensure a safe landing.
This innovative maneuvering represents a significant new aspect of the spaceplane’s recent operations.
„This first-of-its-kind maneuver from the X-37B is an incredibly important milestone for the United States Space Force as we strive to expand our capabilities in this challenging domain,” stated Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman in the service’s press release. U.S. Space Command has been advocating for new technologies that enable „dynamic space operations,” which include „sustained” maneuvering that conserves fuel and allows military spacecraft and satellites to outpace potential adversary satellites — or, alternatively, engage them for threat assessments and possible neutralization.
Since the Defense Department assumed control of the X-37B program from NASA in 2006, it has remained somewhat secretive about the spacecraft’s missions, capabilities, and orbital whereabouts. The robotic craft often attracts speculation, including assertions from Russia and China, suggesting its use as an on-orbit weapons platform.
The latest „Global Counterspace Capabilities” report from the Secure World Foundation noted that such speculation gained traction following the October 2023 release of the Space Force’s first official painting, depicting a military spaceplane characterized only as a „futuristic intercept vehicle” preparing to engage an enemy satellite. At that time, the service clarified that the painting was purely a creative endeavor.
Low-cost maneuvers, like aerobraking, could serve as one strategy for approaching adversary satellites, albeit at a slow pace.
The X-37B program, overseen by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office since 2010, is now managed by the Space Force’s Delta 9, which is responsible for supervising X-37B’s on-orbit operations.
Delta 9 conducts „protect and defend operations, providing national decision-makers with response options to deter and, when necessary, defeat orbital threats,” while also preparing Guardians for „orbital warfare.”
