Latest / Elon Musk Podcast / Falcon Heavy Secret Space Plane Update

Transcript

Falcon Heavy Secret Space Plane Update · Elon Musk Podcast

• 0:01
  Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast.
• 0:05
  This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads that
• 0:08
  shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink.
• 0:13
  And I'm your host, Will Walden, the US Space Force's 7th mission
• 0:18
  of the X37B Orbital Test Vehicle, or the OTV launch last
• 0:23
  week on a Falcon Heavy rocket, and it's shrouded in mystery.
• 0:28
  This is a Boeing built spacecraft.
• 0:30
  Its purpose, its payload and its destination remain largely
• 0:34
  undisclosed. But Michelle Parker, who is
• 0:36
  Boeing's Vice President of Space missions, said that the
• 0:39
  technological advancements we're driving on X37B will benefit the
• 0:44
  broader space community, especially as we see increased
• 0:47
  interest in space sustainability and we're pushing for innovation
• 0:51
  and capability that will influence the next generation of
• 0:55
  spacecraft. Now this is known as the US SF52
• 0:59
  or the OTV 7, and the mission departed from Kennedy Space
• 1:02
  Center Launch Complex 39 A in Florida.
• 1:06
  Now the launch, which initially delayed due to weather and
• 1:08
  technical issues, was assisted by SpaceX and the live stream of
• 1:12
  the launch was terminated upon the space plane reaching orbit
• 1:15
  as requested by the Space Force. Frank Kendall, the Secretary of
• 1:19
  the US Air Force, said that the progress of space travel, citing
• 1:22
  teamwork across various agencies and industries, is ramping up.
• 1:26
  And for the first time, the X37B launched aboard a Falcon Heavy
• 1:31
  rocket, one of the most powerful launch vehicles available.
• 1:35
  This marked a departure from previous missions, which
• 1:37
  utilized the United Launch Alliance's Atlas 5 rockets in
• 1:41
  Spacex's Falcon 9 booster. The Falcon Heavy's capabilities
• 1:44
  have fueled speculation about the potential altitude and
• 1:48
  objectives of the Super secret mission of the X37B project is a
• 1:53
  collaboration involving the Space Force, the US Space
• 1:56
  Force's Rapid Capabilities Office and Boeing.
• 1:59
  It operates under the National Security Space Launch Program
• 2:02
  and the spacecraft's exact role remains a topic of speculation
• 2:06
  ranging from reconnaissance to payload delivery, with a
• 2:09
  Pentagon denying any weapons related functions.
• 2:13
  Now, the Space Force has stated that USSF 52 will test
• 2:17
  operations in new orbital regimes and examined radiation
• 2:21
  effects on various payloads, including NASA provided seeds.
• 2:25
  William Bailey, who's the Director of Rapid Capabilities
• 2:28
  Office, said that the space plane's role is enhancing
• 2:31
  responsibility, flexibility, and adaptive experimentation
• 2:35
  platforms for space operations in the future.
• 2:38
  Additionally, the X37B will experiment with technologies for
• 2:41
  future space domain awareness. This aims to ensure safe and
• 2:45
  secure space operations for both government and commercial
• 2:48
  entities, and despite the secrecy, certain aspects of the
• 2:52
  X37's design and capabilities have been disclosed.
• 2:56
  The X37B, initially a NASA project, was developed by
• 3:01
  Boeing's Phantom Works, designed for operations in low Earth
• 3:04
  orbit, and it's notable for being the first vehicle since
• 3:07
  the Space Shuttle capable of returning experiments to Earth.
• 3:11
  It's a space plane, and it introduces several technological
• 3:14
  innovations, including advanced avionics and electromechanical
• 3:18
  actuation systems. Now, despite its new features,
• 3:22
  the X37B shares some similarities with the Space
• 3:25
  Shuttle though, including its high profile landing and lifting
• 3:28
  body architecture. However, it is significantly
• 3:31
  smaller and more elusive, capable of changing orbit and
• 3:34
  concealing its position. Now, since its first mission in
• 3:37
  2010, the X37B has completed over 37150 days in space,
• 3:45
  covering 1.3 billion miles. Its achievements were recognized
• 3:49
  in 2019 with the Robert J Collier Trophy for significant
• 3:53
  American aeronautical and astronomical achievements.
• 3:57
  Now the X37BS increasing mission durations and capabilities have
• 4:01
  coincided with a similar development by China.
• 4:04
  Their Shen Long Divine Dragon space plane project launched
• 4:07
  aboard a Long March 2F rocket and has been the subject of
• 4:11
  international interest in speculation, and Boeing's X37B
• 4:15
  was initially designed for a 270 day mission.
• 4:18
  However, since OTV 2 in 2011, each mission has exceeded its
• 4:24
  predecessor in duration, with the 6th mission lasting a record
• 4:28
  908 days, and OTV 7 is anticipated to surpass this
• 4:34
  duration and includes expanded capabilities for hosting more
• 4:37
  experiments. The chief of Space operations
• 4:41
  for the Space Force suggested that OTV 7 could be the X37BS
• 4:46
  final mission, though this comes amid increasing activity in
• 4:49
  space endeavors by China, highlighted by their recent
• 4:52
  Shenlong mission and deployment of objects into orbit from the
• 4:56
  Shenlong mission. Now, the close timing of the
• 4:59
  launches of the X37B and Shenlong has not gone unnoticed.
• 5:03
  Though U.S. officials, including Stalzman, have acknowledged
• 5:06
  mutual interest and surveillance between the two nations
• 5:09
  regarding their respective space plane projects, the X37BS
• 5:13
  development and deployment show that it's an important phase in
• 5:17
  space exploration and technological advancement.
• 5:20
  Right now, it's super secretive. Nature and advanced capabilities
• 5:24
  show a significant leap in EU s s efforts to maintain a
• 5:27
  strategic edge in space, and the speculation surrounding the S30
• 5:31
  7BS purpose and capabilities reflects the ongoing intrigue
• 5:35
  and competition and space exploration and utilization.
• 5:39
  And as nations continue to develop and deploy advanced
• 5:42
  space tech, the X37B remains a key player in this area.
• 5:47
  Now the X37BS latest mission continues to foster discussions
• 5:52
  and theories about its objectives and its impact.
• 5:55
  With each mission pushing the boundaries of space tech, the
• 5:58
  X37B remains an important component of the evolving
• 6:02
  narrative of space exploration and security.
• 6:05
  Now the impact of future space missions though in terms of
• 6:07
  technology and strategy, we're not exactly sure what that's
• 6:11
  going to be. And as it embarks on its latest
• 6:14
  journey, the X37BS secretive nature coupled with its advanced
• 6:19
  capabilities continues to captivate everybody.
• 6:22
  So if we have any more information about the X37B,
• 6:26
  we'll let you know as soon as possible.
• 6:28
  Hey, thank you so much for listening today.
• 6:30
  I really do appreciate your support.
• 6:32
  If you could take a second and hit the subscribe or the follow
• 6:34
  button on whatever podcast platform that you're listening
• 6:37
  on right now, I'd greatly appreciate it.
• 6:39
  It helps out the show tremendously and you'll never
• 6:42
  miss an episode and each episode is about 10 minutes or less to
• 6:46
  get you caught up quickly. And please, if you want to
• 6:49
  support the show even more, go to patreon.com/stagezero.
• 6:55
  Please take care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you
• 6:58
  tomorrow.