Washington, Sep. 27 (ANI): A mysterious U.S. military space plane, the X-37B, is set to blast off again next month for another secret mission, says a report.
The X-37B is slated for its third launch in October, the Air Force said, but like its two orbital predecessors, the mission of the unmanned spacecraft remains shrouded in secrecy.
According to ABC News, the exact timing of the October spaceflight, dubbed Orbital Test Vechicle-3 or OTV-3, is also tentative.
"We are on track for the launch of the X-37B to occur next month, but the exact date of the launch is dependent on a number of factors including range conditions and weather," the report quoted Air Force spokesperson Lt. Col. John Dorrian, as saying
According to the report, the pioneer voyage of the X-37B, called OTV-1, began in April of 2010 and lasted 225 days, eventually landing in December of the same year at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The second orbit, OTV-2, touched down on the same base this past June following a record-breaking 469 day travel.
The report quoted Dorrian, as saying that for the third launch, while the vehicle is the same, they will consider landing it at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida instead of the previous base.
"We are looking to save money and make use of previous investments and infrastructure already available," Dorrian added. (ANI)
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