Launch of US military’s secretive X-37B spaceplane delayed by SpaceX

According to SpaceX, the highly anticipated Monday night launch of the U.S. military’s secretive X-37B robot spaceplane has been unexpectedly delayed for at least 24 hours.

The mission, which will mark the mysterious space plane’s seventh trip into orbit, had been preparing for a historic moment when it was set to launch its maiden flight atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. However, the launch was abruptly aborted just 25 minutes before the expected takeoff. Targeted launch window, originally scheduled to open at 8:14 p.m. EST (0114 GMT Tuesday), left viewers and space enthusiasts on the edge of their seats.

A rocket aloft at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, was unexpectedly delayed, throwing a wrench into the carefully planned operation. Stay tuned as SpaceX and military officials work tirelessly to resolve the issue and redesign this ground-breaking mission.

The launch of the SpaceX X-37B robotic space plane is delayed

In a post on social media X, Elon Musk’s California-based rocket company said the countdown was suspended “due to a ground-side issue,” adding that “the vehicle and payload remain healthy.” SpaceX did not elaborate.

The company did not immediately say when it would try again. The mission’s next launch opportunity is Tuesday night, SpaceX said.

The original plan to launch the spacecraft into orbit late Sunday was abandoned due to poor weather conditions in the Cape.

The delays came during the seven missions flown by the X-37B and its first launch from atop the Falcon Heavy, which consisted of three reusable rocket cores attached together and could lift the vehicle into a much higher orbit than ever before.

About the size of a small bus and resembling a miniature space shuttle, the X-37B is built to carry various payloads and conduct technology experiments in long orbits.

The X-37B has flown six previous flights since 2010, with its last flight lasting well over two years before the vehicle’s return landing in November 2022.

The US Department of Defense is revealing a few details about its mission, which will be carried out as part of the military’s National Security Space Launch program. (based on Reuters feedback)