SpaceX's Falcon Heavy spacecraft takes off with highly secretive US military drone

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, the highly secretive rocket, blasted into space carrying the US military's clandestine X-37B drone to a research mission.

The eagerly anticipated lift-off happened after weeks of delays. It unfolded at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 8:07 pm Eastern Time (0107 GMT Friday). A real-time live stream of the launch was shared on SpaceX's website.

Where is the spacecraft headed?

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A veil of secrecy surrounds the uncrewed and autonomously functioning X-37B spacecraft, and it is unknown where exactly it is headed on its seventh mission.

The Pentagon has shared minimal insights into the spacecraft and its latest endeavours. Initially, it was scheduled for launch on December 7.

Inits statement, SpaceX only referred to it by the Pentagon's mission code name — USSF-52, and said "Falcon Heavy launched the USSF-52 mission to orbit from Launch Complex 39A."

What do we know about the heavily secret mission?

While the Pentagon remains tight-lipped about the specifics, it did disclose that the X-37B's seventh mission involves "multiple cutting-edge experiments."

Last month, the US Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office in a statement said: "These tests include operating the reusable spaceplane in new orbital regimes, experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies, and investigating the radiation effects on materials provided by NASA."

Significantly, this marks the first time the X-37B has hitched a ride on the Falcon Heavy, renowned as one of the most powerful operational rockets, capable of ferrying payloads up to 26,700 kilogrammes (around 58,900 pounds) into the depths of space.

As per AFP, the X-37B US space drone resembles a downsized version of the now-retired manned space shuttles and has dimensions akin to a small bus. With a length of 30 feet (nine meters) and a wingspan of 15 feet (4.57 m), it harnesses solar panels for propulsion. Previous missions of the X-37B have involved conducting tests for NASA, including an exploration of the impact of radiation on seeds and other materials.

The Falcon Heavy's launch comes just two weeks after China deployed its enigmatic robotic space plane, Shenlong on December 14.

According to China's state news agency, Xinhua, "During this period, reusable technology verification and space science experiments will be carried out as planned to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space."

(With inputs from agencies)