The X-37B is about to make its seventh mission, but the U.S. military has never said what it will do. Experts have reminded that anti-satellite capabilities deserve China's high attention.Foreword: X-37B is an aerospace aircraft that the United States has invested in for more than 20 years and has not given up. Since NASA withdrew from the project in 2004, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has officially taken over and turned it into a classified project, despite the fact that it has been flown for thousands of days, but the outside world still knows little about the content of its mission. According to experts' speculation, one of its major capabilities is to hit satellites. This article will combine this launch plan with the ability to hit satellites to analyze what impact the X-37B will bringIs China capable of coping?
*: The X-37B will be launched for the first time on a Falcon Heavy rocket for its seventh mission).
1. The X-37B is about to be lifted into the air, and the US military will never mention it
The X-37B is an unmanned spaceplane developed by the United States, which mainly relies on rocket launches and then maintains a long-term flight in low-earth orbit with its own power. After completing the mission, the X-37B will also be able to autonomously taxi and land and return to the ground like a normal aircraft.
What's more,The X-37B can reach speeds of more than 25 times the speed of sound, and the longest flight recorded was from May 2015 to May 2017, with a total flight duration of 718 days.
Although the U.S. military has always emphasized that the X-37B is just a simple space scientific research platform, its highly top-secret posture has caused a lot of speculation.
Therefore, many people will take itIt is regarded as the prototype of the future "space fighter"., which can be launched like an intercontinental missile in wartime, and in peacetime, always in orbit.
Like a "sword hanging over the head", it doesn't know when it will appear, dealing a heavy blow to the target.
Recently, the Global Times reported thatThe mysterious X-37B space drone in the United States, after a period of recuperation, will be launched again, and this time it will reach new heights compared to the previous ones.
Soon, Saltzman, the chief of operations of the US Space Force, further indicated that the flight wouldConduct "breakthrough" trialsto lay the foundation for future space combat capabilities, such as the "Future Space Domain Perception Technology" test.
This test, possibly, refers to the ability to detect satellites of other countries. However, for the time being, the specific mission content is still in a state of secrecy, and the US military will never mention it.
*: X-37B was launched, and it was speculated that it would be used to detect threats from satellites of hostile countries).
2. Experts remind: China needs to be vigilant in its ability to hit satellites
Next, let's focus on the X-37B's anti-satellite capabilities.
According to the introduction of the domestic military specialty, it is mentioned in the public information of the X-37BThe four functions are space reconnaissance and surveillance, space confrontation operations, rapid space support response, and space ground strike.
These correspond to the "space combat capability" mentioned by the US military above.
Space reconnaissance surveillance is not difficult to understandAs the name suggests, it is used to monitor the ability of satellites of other countries, of course, it is an extremely advanced equipment, and conventional satellite surveillance is not the same, during the period, X-37B can change orbit in real time, to achieve more mobile, fast reconnaissance, and even multi-sortie network reconnaissance.
In short, the X-37B has the ability to monitor satellites 24 hours a day.
Space confrontation operations, which refers to attacking, capturing or jamming enemy space targets. Coupled with space ground strike capabilities, the X-37B is enough to carry ** in orbit operations.
Space targets include spacecraft, satellites, asteroids, space debris, etc., thusAs long as the U.S. military wants to, the X-37B can destroy, jam or capture other countries' satellites at any time.
It is worth noting that Saltzman also said earlier this year that the United States is being threatened by enemy space-based systems and anti-satellite capabilities, which is why it is constantly strengthening its space combat capabilities.
From the perspective of anti-satellite capabilities, there are actually not many countries in the world that have such capabilitiesThey are China, the United States, Russia and IndiaAs a result, several countries, including China, should be wary of the X-37B.
*: X-37B may threaten space targets, and it is necessary for China to be more vigilant).
3. Cracking the US anti-satellite system, China's strength is revealed
So, does China need to catch up?The answer is yes.
With the continuous development of aerospace technology, satellites have been widely used in people's daily life and in the military field, although China has made great progress in the field of satellites, and even built the Beidou satellite navigation system, surpassing the United States GPS in some performance, but the value of anti-satellite operations cannot be ignored.
In addition, the Chinese space station has been built, and these spacecraft may face the threat of X-37B during operation.
So, we can build on thatImproves maneuverability and resistance to electromagnetismOnce the other side dares to approach to carry out capture, strike, or jamming maneuvers, China's satellites and spacecraft will also be able to evade danger by relying on their powerful maneuvering capabilities.
There are also experts who propose that it can be endowed with a self-destruct deviceUnder special circumstances, jade is burned.
Of course, the development of similar aerospace vehicles is also an effective way to deal with it. After all, the X-37B has already proved the role of the aerospace aircraft with practical actions, so we may not be able to follow suit and develop our own aerospace vehicle.
*: The "Falcon Heavy" rocket is a reusable launch vehicle developed by the United States).
4. For a "first time", China needs to be more vigilant
According to the report, China has now made a major breakthrough in the field of reusable spacecraft. In May of this year,The reusable experimental spacecraft landed successfully after 276 days in orbit.
This move has undoubtedly aroused great attention from US experts, who believe that such a spacecraft may be an unmanned space shuttle shaped like the X-37B.
When it comes to reusability, one has to mention launch vehicles.
X-37B this launch, willFor the first time, the Falcon Heavy rocket was used, the data shows that the "Heavy Falcon" can be delivered up to 220,000 miles in geosynchronous orbit.
Therefore, compared to the previous low earth orbit, the X-37B is highly likely to be deployed in high orbit.
Experts said that China and other countries need to pay attention to this news, after all, the X-37B located in low orbit mainly threatens low-orbit satellites, and after being in high orbit, the strategic significance of X-37B will rise in a straight line, which can threaten high-orbit and high-value targets.
I just don't know, under China's close pursuit, can the US military break back by launching the X-37B?
Conclusion: Do you know anything else about the upcoming launch of the American X-37B?Feel free to leave your views and stories in the comment area.