Boeing X-37

E21876

The Boeing X-37 is an unmanned, reusable spaceplane operated by the U.S. Space Force that conducts long-duration, classified orbital missions and autonomous runway landings.

Aliases (1)

Statements (60)
Predicate Object
instanceOf orbital test vehicle
reusable spaceplane
unmanned spacecraft
alsoKnownAs Orbital Test Vehicle
X-37B
control autonomous control
countryOfOrigin United States of America
crew uncrewed
designFeature delta wing configuration
deployable solar array
payload bay with doors
thermal protection system
vertical stabilizer
developedFor United States Air Force
United States Space Force
firstFlight 2010
firstOrbitalMission April 2010
guidance autonomous guidance
height about 2.9 meters
landingMethod autonomous horizontal runway landing
landingSite Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility
Vandenberg Air Force Base
launchMass about 5,000 kilograms
launchMethod launched vertically on expendable launch vehicle
launchVehicle Atlas V
Falcon 9
Falcon Heavy
length about 8.9 meters
manufacturer Boeing
missionCharacteristic autonomous deorbit and landing
classified payloads
long-duration flights exceeding one year
on-orbit maneuverability
missionType autonomous runway landing missions
long-duration orbital missions
on-orbit testing
technology experimentation
operator United States Air Force
United States Space Force
orbitType low Earth orbit
powerSource lithium-ion batteries
solar arrays
primaryUser United States Air Force
United States Space Force
programName X-37 program
propulsionType rocket-launched spaceplane
relatedTo Dream Chaser spaceplane
Space Shuttle program
X-20 Dyna-Soar
reusability reusable
role classified orbital test platform
reusable spacecraft demonstrator
spaceplane technology demonstrator
status operational
usedFor experiments for U.S. government agencies
testing advanced materials in space
testing reusable spacecraft technologies
testing satellite technologies
testing space situational awareness technologies
wingspan about 4.6 meters

Referenced by (2)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
X-Plane experimental aircraft programs
notableAircraft
Boeing X-37 ("X-37 program")
programName

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