Space Ops: Shedding Some Light On The X-37B

On Oct. 10, the U.S. Space Force shared that the X-37B orbital test vehicle would begin executing a series of “first of its kind” aerobraking maneuvers to dispose of service module components in low Earth orbit (LEO), before continuing with its mission.

The Pentagon has historically kept the spaceplane’s capabilities and mission objectives under wraps, so when the service’s press release emerged, more than a few pairs of eyebrows shot straight up among space observers.

Two Boeing-built unmanned, reusable X-37B space vehicles have completed six missions since the first launch in 2010. The sixth mission, which launched May 17, 2020, and successfully ended Nov. 12, 2022, was the first to include a service module attached to the aft of the vehicle that could expand the number of experiments that could be hosted during a mission. Its current mission launched late last December.

Aerobraking is a fairly standard way for spacecraft to switch orbits without using up a lot of fuel, and to maneuver in LEO in particular. In this instance, the X-37B will use the drag of the Earth’s atmosphere to drop the service module off, which will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere in accordance with space debris mitigation standards, the Space Force says. It is the first time the service and the X-37B have attempted to carry out such a maneuver while in orbit around the Earth, a spokesperson told Aviation Week at the time of the announcement.

So why share this news now, when the X-37 has remained largely shrouded in secrecy? The decision to shed a brief patch of light on the current mission might be attributed to a number of factors, likely in combination.

Since Congress established the Space Force in 2019, the Defense Department as a whole has more openly discussed the space-based threats it sees coming at breathtaking speed from adversaries like Russia and China, and described the capabilities needed to counter those threats.

Disclosing this aerobraking maneuver could be the Space Force’s way of showing the world what the spaceplane is capable of, with an intended audience of anyone from allies and partners, adversaries, lawmakers, industry, potential recruits, and perhaps even the service itself.

The concept of “dynamic space operations,” in which spacecraft are capable of sustained maneuvering on orbit, is a priority area for Space Force investment. Aerobraking is a key enabler for such on-orbit mobility, and if the Space Force can demonstrate it can change orbital planes without using up too much fuel, that could significantly benefit future operations.

The publicity could also allow the service to model responsible behavior in space. Russia and China don’t always disclose their own activities or maneuvers in space, and leaders, including U.S. Space Command Commander Gen. Stephen Whiting, have called on Moscow and Beijing to more proactively communicate actions that may affect orbital safety or situational awareness.

Commercial satellite tracking technology has dramatically improved and proliferated. Companies like Slingshot Aerospace can quickly and accurately detect anomalous events, like when the August launch of China’s Long March 6A rocket left a string of debris along its orbital path. The Space Force is aware that it can’t hide maneuvers like this one for long, as space trackers from both friendly and adversarial sources might figure out what’s happening in a matter of days, or even hours.

Finally, and perhaps optimistically, the Space Force may truly be getting serious about tackling overclassification issues and has determined that there’s no harm to national security from disclosing this maneuver. Service and department officials are working to break down security classification barriers, largely to ease the challenges of working with the commercial space sector.

While the reasoning behind announcing the aerobraking maneuver remains opaque, this much is clear: giving the space community a bite of X-37B news only leaves it wanting more.