This was reported by Reuters, Ukrinform reported.

It was noted that the device was launched using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, which has a higher orbital capacity than previous missions. Previous flights of the Kh-37B have been conducted in low Earth orbit at altitudes of up to 2,000 kilometers.

Photo from spacenews.com

This was preceded by two weeks of failed launches and delays. Due to bad weather conditions and some technical problems, the countdown was interrupted three times, after which ground services had to return the spacecraft to the hangar.

The launch came two weeks after China sent its own Shenlong (Divine Dragon) autonomous space plane on its third flight since 2020, adding a new element to the US-China space competition, the newspaper said.

The space plane created by Boeing is the size of a small bus and resembles a miniature space shuttle. It is designed to carry various payloads and conduct technological experiments during long orbital flights. At the end of its mission, the device will pass through the atmosphere and land on the runway like a plane.

The spacecraft has made six flights since 2010. The first five launches used the Atlas V launch vehicle produced by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. For the sixth launch in May 2020, the Falcon 9 launch vehicle produced by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company was used.

Thursday’s launch used for the first time SpaceX’s more powerful Falcon Heavy rocket, which can carry a heavier payload than the X-37B into space, possibly into geosynchronous orbit 35,000 kilometers above Earth, the report said.

The planned duration of the latest Kh-37B mission has not been announced, but given the trend of gradually increasing flight times, it is likely to last until June 2026 or even longer.

As Ukrinform reported, on Friday, December 29, the American company SpaceX launched 23 more Starlink internet satellites into orbit.

Main photo via Space.com