Key Points and Summary – The Boeing X-40A was a crucial but unpowered test vehicle that paved the way for America’s most secretive spacecraft, the X-37B.
-Dropped from a helicopter, the sub-scale X-40A successfully proved the autonomous guidance and landing systems that are essential to the X-37B’s reusable design.
-This technology now allows the operational X-37B to conduct long-duration, clandestine missions in orbit.
-While its current purpose is experimental, top military officials have hinted that the X-37B could one day be equipped with weapons, transforming it into a platform for orbital warfare.
The X-40A, Boeing’s Unmanned Space Plane
The Boeing X-40A was a sub-scale, unpowered, unmanned spaceplane demonstrator. It was primarily used to test technologies for the X-37 program.
The X-40A was a 90-percent-scale version of the X-37B, a reusable unmanned spaceplane developed by Boeing. Also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, the X-37B has focused on aerodynamic and control systems for autonomous landing.
The Boeing X-40A conducted approach and landing tests, proving the capabilities of the X-37’s autonomous flight control system
Meet The X-40A The Unmanned Space Aircraft:
On Aug. 11, 1998, the X-40A made its first successful flight at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. A CH-47D Chinook helicopter lifted the demonstrator to about 10,000 feet and released it. The X-40A then made an unpowered flight during which it demonstrated guidance, navigation, and control capabilities.
Following that first test, the Air Force loaned the X-40A to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to test the X-37’s aerodynamics, guidance, and other systems.
After several flights to practice release procedures and test equipment, the X-40A made its first NASA flight on March 28, 2001. Released at 15,000 feet by a Chinook helicopter, the X-40A flew itself, guided by onboard systems, to a soft landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
The X-40A made a total of seven successful flights in support of the X-37 program. The demonstrator was 22 feet long and 12 feet wide, and it weighed 2,600 pounds.
The X-37B Space Plane
The X-37B is a reusable unmanned spaceplane. The Orbital Test Vehicle’s primary purpose is to test experimental technologies while in orbit – technological capabilities including propulsion systems, thermal protection, and autonomous reentry options.
The X-37B has completed seven missions, each extending its time in orbit, with the latest mission concluding after 434 days.
While in orbit, mission 7 accomplished a variety of tests and experimentation objectives intended to demonstrate the X-37B’s robust maneuvering capability. At the same time, the vehicle was also helping to characterize the space domain through experiments to test the viability of space domain awareness technology.
“Mission 7 broke new ground by showcasing the X-37B’s ability to flexibly accomplish its test and experimentation objectives across orbital regimes. The successful execution of the aerobraking maneuver underscores the U.S. Space Force’s commitment to pushing the bounds of novel space operations in a safe and responsible manner,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman.
The X-37B’s missions are classified, but the Space Force has disclosed that it tests technologies relevant to space domain awareness, radiation effects on materials, and other advanced capabilities.
An Armed Future For the X-37B?
Currently, the X-37B is an unarmed spacecraft; however, this may be subject to change.
Speaking at the Air & Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium in March, Gen. Saltzman discussed the outer space version of air superiority — and what it would take to achieve that dominance against near-peer adversaries, including Russia and China.
That includes “employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities through disruption, degradation, and even destruction, if necessary,” Saltzman said.
“It includes things like orbital warfare and electromagnetic warfare, and its counterspace operations can be employed for both offensive and defensive purposes at the direction of combatant commands,” he added.
The Space Force may be planning on adding offensive weapons to the X-37B. Artwork published by the Space Force, namely “High Ground Intercept” by Rick Herter, showed an X-37B in the process of intercepting satellites in space.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
Military Matters
Russia’s Su-57 Felon Stealth Fighter Is a Waste of Rubles
