Scrub! Bad weather delays X-37B space plane launch

Scrub! Bad weather delays X-37B space plane launch

UPDATE for 10:24 a.m. EDT: Bad weather has delayed ULA's Atlas V launch for the X-37B space plane. Next launch attempt is Sunday, May 17, at 9:14 a.m. EDT (1314 GMT). Space.com's full story will be posted shortly. 

An Atlas V rocket will launch an X-37B space plane on a secret mission for the U.S. Space Force and Air Force on Sunday, May 17, and you can watch it live here courtesy of the United Launch Alliance (ULA). A Saturday launch attempt was thwarted by bad weather.

A ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled to launch the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle 6 mission, or OTV-6, at 9:14 a.m. EDT (1314 GMT). A webcast from ULA will begin about 20 min

utes before launch time. You can watch it directly from ULA here.

The upcoming OTV-6 mission will mark the seventh mission the U.S. Space Force, and has the designation USSF-7. It will launch from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.  

The X-37B is an uncrewed space plane operated by the U.S. Air Force Rapid Response Capabilities Office. The Air Force and Space Force have two of the robotic space planes and have launched five long-duration, but classified, missions since 2010. 

From United Launch Alliance:

Rocket: Atlas V 501
Mission: USSF-7
Launch Date: May 16, 2020 at 8:24 a.m. EDT.
Launch Location: Space Launch Complex-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

Mission Information: 
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 501 rocket will launch the United States Space Force-7 (USSF-7) mission, carrying the sixth flight of an X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, OTV-6. Liftoff will occur from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. 

The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office continues to push the flight envelope for the X-37B and will build upon its growing collaboration with experiment partners with its sixth mission. The mission will also deploy FalconSat-8, a small satellite developed by the Air Force Academy and sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory to conduct several experiments on orbit. 

The mission also carries two NASA experiments to study the results of radiation and other space effects on a materials sample plate and seeds used to grow food. Another experiment provided by the Naval Research Laboratory will transform solar power into radio frequency microwave energy which could then be transferred to the ground.

At a glance: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 501 configuration rocket will launch the USSF-7 mission for the U.S. Space Force. In a show of national solidarity this launch will be dedicated to honor front-line responders and those affected by COVID-19. This will mark the sixth flight of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-6).

Download the Mission Overview here.

Launch Notes: This will be the 139th mission for United Launch Alliance. It is the 84th for an Atlas V rocket and the 7th in the 501 configuration.

Launch Updates: To keep up to speed with updates, dial the ULA launch hotline at 1-877-852-4321 or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch and instagram.com/ulalaunch; hashtags #AtlasV #USSF7 #SpaceForce #AirForce #AmericaStrong

Find out what the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station are up to by tuning in to the "ISS Live" broadcast. Hear conversations between the crew and mission controllers on Earth and watch them work inside the U.S. segment of the orbiting laboratory. When the crew is off duty, you can enjoy live views of Earth from Space. You can watch and listen in the window below, courtesy of NASA.

From NASA:

"Live video from the International Space Station includes internal views when the crew is on-duty and Earth views at other times. The video is accompanied by audio of conversations between the crew and Mission Control. This video is only available when the space station is in contact with the ground. During 'loss of signal' periods, viewers will see a blue screen.

"Since the station orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, it experiences a sunrise or a sunset about every 45 minutes. When the station is in darkness, external camera video may appear black, but can sometimes provide spectacular views of lightning or city lights below." 

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