
New Chinese Space Plane Landed at Mysterious Air Base, Evidence Suggests - akeck
https://www.npr.org/2020/09/09/911113352/new-chinese-space-plane-landed-at-mysterious-air-base-evidence-suggeststhe
======
DarthGhandi
> "We're not even really sure why the U.S. military is pursuing a space
> plane."

> The U.S. X-37B program remains highly classified. Weeden says he believes it
> is being used to test new sensors and systems for the military.

Maybe looking at Wikipedia is a good place for an aspiring journalist to
start:

> The mission hosts more experiments than prior X-37B flights, including two
> NASA experiments. One is a sample plate evaluating the reaction of select
> materials to conditions in space. The second studies the effect of ambient
> space radiation on seeds. A third experiment designed by the Naval Research
> Laboratory (NRL) transforms solar power into radio frequency microwave
> energy, then studies transmitting that energy to Earth.

> The X-37B released a small, 300 pounds (136 kg) satellite named FalconSAT-8
> (USA-300) around 28 May 2020... the small satellite carries five
> experimental payloads. The spacecraft will test a novel electromagnetic
> propulsion system, low-weight antenna technology and a commercial reaction
> wheel to provide attitude control in orbit.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-37#OTV-6_(USSF_7)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-37#OTV-6_\(USSF_7\))

