 The X-37B back on Earth after completing OTV-2 | |
| Mission type | Demonstration |
|---|---|
| Operator | Air Force Space Command |
| COSPAR ID | 2011-010A[1] |
| SATCATno. | 37375 |
| Mission duration | 468 days, 13 hours, 2 minutes[2] |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Boeing X-37B |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Launch mass | 5,400 kg (11,900 lb)[3] |
| Power | Deployable solar array, batteries[3] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 5 March 2011, 22:46:00 (2011-03-05UTC22:46Z) UTC[4] |
| Rocket | Atlas V 501[3] |
| Launch site | Cape CanaveralSLC-41 |
| Contractor | United Launch Alliance |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 16 June 2012, 12:48:00 (2012-06-16UTC12:49Z) UTC[2] |
| Landing site | Vandenberg, Runway 12 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Semi-major axis | 6,662 km (4,140 mi)[5] |
| Eccentricity | 0.0008[5] |
| Perigee altitude | 278.5 km (173.1 mi)[5] |
| Apogee altitude | 289.3 km (179.8 mi)[5] |
| Inclination | 41.9°[5] |
| Period | 90.2 min[5] |
| Mean motion | 15.96[5] |
| Epoch | 30 May 2012, 02:23:10 UTC[5] |
OTV program | |
OTV-2 (also known asUSA-226[1]) was the first flight of the secondBoeingX-37B, an American unmanned roboticvertical-takeoff, horizontal-landingspaceplane. It was launched aboard anAtlas V rocket fromCape Canaveral on 5 March 2011, and landed atVandenberg Air Force Base on 16 June 2012. It operated inlow Earth orbit. Its USA-226 mission designation is part of theUSA series.
The spaceplane was operated byAir Force Space Command, which has not revealed the specific identity of thepayload for the first flight. The Air Force stated only that the spacecraft would "demonstrate various experiments and allow satellite sensors, subsystems, components, and associated technology to be transported into space and back."[6]
OTV-2 was launched aboard anAtlas V rocket, tail number AV-026, on 5 March 2011 fromSpace Launch Complex 41 atCape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.[7][8] It was scheduled to launch on the previous day, 4 March, but weather prevented the launch on that day, forcing the reschedule to 5 March.
The launch was conducted byUnited Launch Alliance.
The X-37B spacecraft was originally intended to be deployed from the payload bay of a NASASpace Shuttle, but following theColumbia accident, it was transferred to aDelta II 7920, then subsequently transferred to the Atlas V following concerns over the X-37B's aerodynamic properties during launch.[3]
Prior to the installation of the spacecraft, the Atlas rocket was moved to the launch pad and performed awet dress rehearsal on 4 February 2011.[7] It was returned to theVertical Integration Facility the following day for final assembly.[9]
Most of the mission parameters for the first OTV-2 flight have not been disclosed.[10] The Air Force stated the mission time would depend on progress of the craft's experiments during orbit. On 29 November 2011 a spokesperson for the Secretary of the Air Force announced the mission was extended beyond its original life expectancy, citing ongoing experimentation.[11]
In addition to its unspecified payload, OTV-2 carried a folded solar panel in its cargo bay to power the spacecraft during its year and a half long mission.[12]
| Time period | Periapsis (AMSL) | Apoapsis (AMSL) | Resonance (orbits:days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Mar 5 – 14[13] | 317 km (197 mi)[13] | 319 km (198 mi)[13] | |
| 2011 Mar 14 – 30[14] | 317 km (197 mi)[14] | 344 km (214 mi)[14] | |
| 2011 Mar 30 – 16 Jun[15] | 323 km (201 mi)[15] | 339 km (211 mi)[15] |
After completing its mission, OTV-2 deorbited,entered the atmosphere, and landed atVandenberg Air Force Base on 16 June 2012 at 05:48PT (12:48GMT).[2] OTV-2 is the third reusable spaceplane to perform an automated landing after returning from orbit, the first being the SovietBuran spacecraft in 1988[16] and the second, its sister craft, theOTV-1.[17]
