SpaceX Launches Space Plane For US Air Force Thursday Morning

Before Hurricane Irma hit the Caribbean, SpaceX launched a top-secret mission for the Air Force on Thursday. The mission involved putting an unmanned space plane into orbit before weather conditions made it impossible to do so. As to what the mission was supposed to accomplish, neither the Air Force nor SpaceX was willing to divulge some of the more sensitive details.

The plane in question is the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, which is a top-secret ship capable of orbital flight that the Air Force has been keeping under wraps for a while now. It is capable of flying around the world and is equipped with various sensors and information-gathering equipment. The secretive nature of the launch was reflected by the fact that the Dragon rocket’s first stage landed back at the Kennedy Space Center instead of the remote drone platform, CNN reports.

Quite a few things are worthy of note about this development, one of which is another successful landing of a SpaceX rocket, despite less than ideal conditions. As for the plane itself, all the Air Force would say is that it has "experimental payloads," which apparently includes equipment for testing "experimental electronics and oscillating heat pipes."

It’s also worth pointing out that the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle having gone to space and back is a huge deal for reusable space vehicles. It made sense that the Air Force would want to partner with SpaceX, the only company that has successfully achieved this kind of task for the latest launch.

The plane itself could be modified to hold a human crew, Ars Technica reports, which could go a long way towards fulfilling the dreams of those investing in commercial space flight. Right now, though, the crew that worked on the launch, as well as everyone at the Kennedy Space Center, are bracing for the inevitable impact of Hurricane Irma.