Secret X37-B Space Plane Launched

Now on its seventh mission

After two scrubs, a thunderous SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket finally launched the U.S. Space Force's mysterious, secret X-37B spaceplane on its seventh mission at 8:07 pm Eastern time on Thursday, December 28th.

Blasting off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the triple-booster behemoth marked SpaceX's 97th launch of the year and the Falcon Heavy's ninth flight overall.

Initially scheduled for December 10th, the mission faced weather delays, followed by an eleventh-hour technical hitch on December 11th. The Falcon Heavy even took a pit stop in the hangar on December 14th, media reports suggest, as engineers replaced one or more engines. But, perseverance finally paid off, sending the X-37B into the starry expanse on its secretive orbital journey. This X-37-B mission may last for 1- 2 years.