Space Force space glider tests laser communication and quantum sensors in space

The US Space Force's unmanned and reusable X-37B space glider will set off on its eighth mission today. As usual, the military is keeping information on the tasks of X-37B and the length of the mission under wraps, but according to official information, two tests are the main focus. The space glider is to test laser communication and a powerful quantum inertial sensor. The latter is intended to be an alternative to traditional GPS for determining location.

The US military's space division keeps many aspects of its own missions under wraps, but occasionally announces its own successes or mission objectives that could also be of interest to the public. Most recently, the US Space Force's X-37B spacecraft landed again after 434 days in space, although this largely secret mission was relatively short. However, it was announced that X-37B was to use the resistance of the Earth's atmosphere in a new type of "aerobraking" flight maneuver in order to change its orbit and consume as little fuel as possible.

New methods of communication and navigation in space

The next mission of X-37B is not about flight maneuvers, but about communication and navigation in space. The space glider, officially called the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-8), is to communicate with satellites in low orbit using lasers. According to the Space Force, laser communication is "critical to the future of space communications because the shorter wavelength of infrared light increases the amount of data that can be sent with each transmission." It is also safer than traditional radio frequency transmissions, as they are positioned more accurately. This should improve the "resilience and flexibility of US orbital systems".

The second important part of this space glider mission is the demonstration of the most powerful quantum inertial sensor in space to date. This will "enable precise navigation in space without external assistance by detecting the rotation and acceleration of atoms without relying on satellite networks such as conventional GPS." This technology is useful for navigation in areas without GPS coverage and is intended to "improve the navigational stability of US spacecraft", especially in the face of "current and emerging threats".

Launch on board a Falcon 9 from SpaceX

The US space glider is to be launched into space today by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. X-37B can return on its own, because similar to the space shuttle, which was discontinued many years ago and which X-37B also resembles visually, the space glider can land back on Earth like an airplane. According to SpaceX, the launch window opens today shortly before 6 a.m. German time, but if conditions are unfavorable, a launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is also possible tomorrow at the same time.

It is unclear how long X-37B will remain in space on its eighth mission. At 434 days, the seventh mission was the second shortest after X-37B's first mission ever, which lasted just 225 days fifteen years ago. All the spacecraft's other missions lasted at least 468 days and, according to a Spacenews list, were mostly around 700 to 800 days long. The sixth mission is X-37B's longest to date. The spacecraft only returned after 908 days.

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