The mission for the unmanned and mysterious U.S. Air Force space plane, X-37B,
is to serve as a demonstrative test run for reliable and reusable materials and
technologies for spacecraft in orbit. Its primary objective is to utilize
reusable components to operate experiments in space and return to Earth to be examined.
At least, that's what we've been told.
So why are some people claiming the X-37B is actually carrying nukes?
First, here's what we actually know about the X-37B.
The experimental test vehicle was constructed by Boeing. According to the U.S. Air Force, it
stretches over 29' 3" in length and sits nearly 10 feet off the ground. Its wingspan reaches nearly
15 feet and it weighs 11,000 pounds. It is powered by Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells, via lithium-ion
batteries, and utilizes the launch vehicles SpaceX Falcon 9 and United Launch Alliance Atlas V (501).
Did you get all that?
"Are you going to sit there? Like an idiot? Doing nothing? Or are you going to join Space Force?
And shoot for the stars."
The X-37B, which launches vertically and lands horizontally,
made its way back out into space in May of 2020, on a classified mission,
during which it also deployed a small orbital satellite, FalconSat-8. The spacecraft also ran
tests on what happens to seeds and food items when exposed to radiation in space.
The current mission called for numerous experiments involving perishables in space,
but also a few initiatives which are unknown to the public.
In fact, when X-37B entered the outer atmosphere and discharged its separation
rocket, the live stream cut off, because of the extremely confidential measure of the mission.
United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno said,
"It's a classified mission, and what is classified about it is the details of the vehicle itself,
the mission it will do in orbit and where it will do that. Therefore we had to stop
the live broadcast so that we didn't make it easy for adversaries to figure those things out
by having that much data about the flight and deployment."
X-37B is also currently testing a solar power system which sends a laser to Earth,
while also porting smaller satellites as well. However,
it still remains a mystery as to the purpose of its deployed satellite, FalconSat-8.
But the missions have met other goals too.
Gen. John Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, told “Defense News,”
"We've learned a lot from the X-37B. One of the things that we've learned is the value
of reusability, and I think, as a Space Force, there's a couple of things that
we're really going to value, and reusability is one of those, and autonomy is another one."
That re-usability is a big part of the space plane's design.
The X-37B has successfully navigated five missions as part of the Air Force contract,
OTV-1 through OTV-5. Each of them has launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with the first
coming in April of 2010, while spending nearly 2,900 days in orbit. The current mission,
which blasted off in May of 2020, is OTV-6, is again testing reusable technology for experiments.
Or is it?
That brings us back to the theories of a Russian defense contractor named Yan Novikov,
who has a long history of specious claims best described as propaganda. Among his
many other counterfactual claims, Novikov wants people to believe that the X-37B
can port nuclear weapons and believes that the U.S. is gearing up to do just that: drop bombs
from orbit. He went on to say that the Air Force has two planes, which can carry up to six nuclear
warheads, and the true nature of them is to build a nuclear armada with eight such aircraft by 2025.
These claims, however, are completely false, according to U.S. officials.
Yes, it is theoretically possible to allow for
the cargo bay to serve as a stash for nuclear torpedoes,
because there is at least one thermonuclear warhead that measures just 12x31 inches.
That scenario is highly unlikely, however, because of all the modifications that would be needed for
both the bombs and the spacecraft. The warheads would have to be structured with a guidance
system for reentry and a deorbiting technology to allow for making its way down toward a target,
all just to land perfectly, which coming from space, would be incredibly difficult.
Ultimately, Novikov's claims are nothing more than unfounded speculation. The U.S.,
as it currently stands, does not possess the ability to launch a nuclear-armed space
armada attack on Russia - or anywhere else on the globe, for that matter.
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