STATEWIDE — Take two. A successful early Sunday morning launch from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket rumbled to space from Pad 41.
What You Need To Know
- Atlas V rocket carried an X-37B spy plane
- SpaceX Falcon 9 launch moved to Tuesday
- Complete coverage of Destination Space | Florida launch schedule
A top secret spaceplane is now in Earth orbit, a day after showers and steady winds spoiled the show.
The mission involves a top secret uncrewed U.S. Air Force space plane heading on its sixth flight.
Nicknamed the 'baby shuttle', the X-37B is a 29-foot spacecraft a quarter size of an orbiter.
The space plane broke its own duration record with 780 days in orbit when it last flew in 2019.
At this point, the X-37B has spent 2,865 days orbiting Earth.
Its missions are classified, so not much is known about its experimental work.
One experiment on board this time is a system that could collect solar energy and convert it into a microwave signal that could provide power on Earth and in space.
“Once the cat's out of the bag with this concept, that it proves it can do what it is, there will be a big rush to develop some sensors that you could uniquely use for powering scenarios,” said Eric Follstad of Centcom.
A small U.S. Air Force Academy satellite is also heading up to conduct experiments in orbit, plus two NASA experiments are on board.
One will determine the effects of radiation on certain materials, the other examines the effects of space on seeds used to grow our food.
A collaborative, special message from the United States Space Force and United Launch Alliance, to those affected by the COVID-19 crisis, is also on this Atlas V rocket.
It's in memory of the victims, and a tribute to first responders and front line workers.
It has the words "America Strong".
If all goes as planned, we are set for another Space Coast launch Tuesday morning.
A Space X Falcon 9 is being readied to launch the latest round Starlink satellites from nearby Pad 40 at 3:10 a.m.
Earlier this month, a "train" of Starlink satellites dazzled space fans as they passed over the Florida peninsula.
The next launch after this weekend is scheduled for May 27 — that's when America is set to send NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
All launches will be covered live by Spectrum News.