Top secret US X-37B spaceplane launched by NASA on SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket

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On December 28th, NASA launched the secretive X-37B spaceplane from Florida on its seventh mission on the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. It is a part of the U.S. military's top secret program

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This NASA mission is distinctive as it's the first time the X-37B is launched atop SpaceX's powerful Falcon Heavy rocket.

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As reported by Reuters, the Falcon Heavy lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center along with three strapped liquid-fueled rocket cores.

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 There was some delay in the launch due to the poor weather conditions and some unspecified technical issues. It even caused ground crews to roll back the spacecraft.

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The X-37B spacecraft resembles a small bus and conducted technology experiments during its orbital flights.

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It has a history of six previous missions, the last being launched on a Falcon 9 booster by Elon Musk's SpaceX in May 2020.

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This mission marks a significant upgrade, launched on Falcon Heavy, potentially reaching geosynchronous orbit, over 22,000 miles above Earth.

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The X-37B is carrying out a NASA experiment to study how plant seeds are affected by prolonged exposure to the harsh environment of radiation in space. 

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The planned duration of the latest X-37B mission is not known, but it is expected that it will run until June 2026 or later.