CAPE CANAVERAL: In a historic moment, the US military's secretive X-37B robot space plane embarked on its seventh mission, lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Thursday night. This mission marks the first time the X-37B was launched atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, offering the spacecraft the capability to reach a higher orbit than ever before.

The Falcon Heavy, composed of three liquid-fuelled rocket cores, demonstrated its power as it roared off the launch pad in an awe-inspiring liftoff witnessed by audiences worldwide through a SpaceX webcast.

The highly anticipated launch had faced several delays due to adverse weather conditions and unresolved technical issues. However, with these obstacles overcome, ground crews were able to proceed with the mission on Thursday, following weeks of careful preparation.

This strategic launch comes just weeks after China's own robot space plane, the Shenlong, embarked on its third mission since 2020, further intensifying the rivalry between the US and China in space exploration.

The X-37B's mission, conducted by the Space Force under the military's National Security Space Launch program, remains shrouded in secrecy. Limited details have been revealed by the Pentagon regarding the objectives of this mission.

Built by Boeing, the X-37B is approximately the size of a small bus and bears a resemblance to a miniature space shuttle. Its purpose is to deploy various payloads and conduct technology experiments during its extended orbital flights, which last for years. At the end of a mission, the space plane safely descends through the Earth's atmosphere and lands on a runway, akin to an airplane.

Since its first mission in 2010, the X-37B has completed six successful missions, with the first five launched aboard Atlas V rockets from United Launch Alliance, a Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture. In May 2020, it was launched atop a Falcon 9 booster provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Thursday's mission is significant as it marks the first time the X-37B is being launched aboard SpaceX's powerful Falcon Heavy rocket. With its enhanced capabilities, the Falcon Heavy can transport payloads heavier than the X-37B to even greater distances, potentially reaching geosynchronous orbit, located over 35,000 km above the Earth's surface.

Previously, the X-37B was limited to flying in low-Earth orbit, at altitudes below 2,000 km. The Air Force's statement last month suggests that this mission, designated as USSF-52, entails testing "new orbital regimes" and experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies, leaving industry analysts and space enthusiasts to speculate the intended destination of the space plane.

Some experts believe that the X-37B might be destined for a highly elliptical orbit around Earth or possibly a trajectory that could take it near the moon, an area of increasing interest for the Pentagon. However, the exact altitude at which the X-37B will fly remains undisclosed.

The webcast of Thursday's launch, cut short at the military's request, left the public unaware of whether the X-37B successfully reached its intended destination in space. However, SpaceX later shared images of the liftoff on its social media platform, indicating that the Falcon Heavy successfully placed the USSF-52 into orbit.

Notably, the X-37B is carrying a NASA experiment aimed at studying the effects of prolonged radiation exposure in space on plant seeds. This experiment reflects the collaborative nature of space exploration, bringing together multiple entities to advance scientific knowledge.

As the US military's X-37B embarks on its secretive seventh mission, the world eagerly awaits further information and updates on its activities in space, as well as the discoveries to be made during its years-long orbital flight.