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Since the beginning of its space journey, the USAF X-37B space plane has generated a great deal of controversy and controversy. Although this militarized version of NASA's orbital vehicle has made several flights since its first mission in 2010, we still have no idea of its true purpose. But until now, smart money seems to be an advanced spy plane.
In the hope of gathering clues on this issue, Skywatcher and satellite tracker Ralf Vandebergh from the Netherlands spent the last few months looking for this plane in the night sky. Recently, he was lucky not only to locate the elusive X-37B in the sky, but also to take some pictures of it. Given its small size and its secret nature, it was no small feat!
Vandebergh for the first time located the space plane in May, after several months of attempts to find him. However, his attempts to photograph him were initially thwarted, the space plane not seeming to follow a predictable orbital pattern. But with a little help from the community of amateur astronomers, he managed to recover it a little over a week ago.
As he said in a recent interview with Science live:
"When I tried to observe him again [in] mid-June, he did not respect the time and the planned path. It turned out to have maneuvered on another orbit. Thanks to the network of amateur satellite observers, it was quickly found in orbit and I was able to take pictures on June 30 and July 2. "
People will recognize the X-37B – aka. the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) – because of its resemblance to NASA's space shuttle in retirement. This is not a coincidence since this space plane was also developed by Boeing, one of the main contractors of the orbiter element of the space shuttle. And just like its predecessor, the X-37B is designed to test reusable technology, is sent into space using a launcher and returns to Earth on its own.
Unlike its predecessor, the X-37B is very small: it measures only 8.92 m (29 ft) in length and 4.55 m (14 ft 11) from one end to the other. On the other hand, the orbiter element of the Space Shuttle is 56.1 m long and 8.7 m in diameter. This makes the X-37B the smallest space plane ever built. As
"It's really a small object, even just 300 kilometers [186 miles] altitude, so do not expect the level of detail of the actual space shuttle's ground imagery … We can recognize a little nose, payload bay and tail of this mini-shuttle, with even a sign of detail. "
Nevertheless, Vandebergh managed to track the spacecraft manually with the help of his 6 × 30 searcher. He then photographed the space plane with his Newtonian F / 4.8 aperture telescope and a mono CMOS camera. Astrolumina ALccd 5L-11. Using some treatments, the image shows the X-37B with the doors of its payload open.
This last flight (OTV-5) is the fifth flight of the spacecraft, which has spent more than 666 days in space. OTV-5 began on September 7, 2017 when the satellite was launched at the top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. This launch took place despite the fact that Hurricane Irma was threatening the peninsula at the time.
Regarding what the X-37B accomplishes during this last mission and when it ends, these elements remain classified. But since the spaceship is officially presented as a technology demonstrator and a test vehicle, it's possible that this is what it has done all this time. Perhaps the tests are gathering information for the creation of a next-generation aerospace fighter, which could one day be part of the creation of a "space force"!
Whatever the case may be, this orbital dig act demonstrates the capabilities of citizen scientists and the role they play in modern astronomy. Thanks to sophisticated tools, the availability of online resources and the sharing of data that is possible today, amateurs and volunteers can make a significant contribution and do what observatories and research institutes can not do. .
Further reading: Science live
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