USA 299 (X-37B; OTV 6)

USA 299 (X-37B; OTV 6) is no longer on orbit
USA 299 (X-37B; OTV 6) is classified as:

Military

NORAD ID: 45606

Int'l Code: 2020-029A

Launch date: May 17, 2020
Source: United States (US)
Launch site: AIR FORCE EASTERN TEST RANGE (AFETR)
Decay date: 2022-11-12

X-37B (USA 299), also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), is a reusable robotic spacecraft. It is boosted into space by a launch vehicle, then re-enters Earth's atmosphere and lands as a spaceplane. While the X-37B's exact purpose is a secret, Space Force officials have revealed that the craft is packing numerous experiments on this trip to test out different systems in space. Some of those experiments include a small satellite called FalconSat-8, two NASA payloads designed to study the effects of radiation on different materials as well as seeds to grow food, and a power-beaming experiment using microwave energy.