The US military's secretive X-37B unmanned space plane embarked on its seventh flight on Thursday night, propelled into space by SpaceX's powerful Falcon Heavy rocket. The spacecraft, which had experienced a delay due to technical difficulties and storms, finally left NASA's Kennedy Space Center for its highly anticipated mission.

This launch marked a significant milestone as it was the first time the X-37B was launched from a Falcon Heavy rocket, known for its immense power. This capability allowed the space plane to reach a higher orbit than ever before.

With an expected mission duration of several years, following its two-and-a-half-year flight that concluded a year ago, the X-37B's latest undertaking has piqued curiosity. The Space Force officials have chosen to keep the details under wraps, providing only vague descriptions of the tests and experiments that will be conducted.

According to a statement from the Space Force, the X-37B will be conducting tests in new orbital regimes, experimenting with space domain awareness technologies, and investigating radiation effects on NASA materials. The Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman expressed excitement about the flight, stating that it would carry groundbreaking experiments to enhance current and future space operations of the United States.

While the exact nature of the experiments remains classified, speculations suggest that the X-37B may be tasked with identifying threats from hostile nations' satellites. The potential for using the space plane to ensure national security has garnered attention from experts in the field.

Frank Kendall, the Secretary of the Air Force, commended the efforts of the Space Force without providing specific details about the mission. The X-37B, developed by Boeing, bears a resemblance to NASA's retired space shuttles but is much smaller. Since its first launch in 2010, the X-37B has spent over a decade in orbit, serving various purposes for the Pentagon.

One notable application of the X-37B involved testing new technologies, including a small solar panel capable of converting solar energy into microwaves. This innovation could pave the way for harnessing energy from space and beaming it back to Earth, as reported by The Washington Post in December.

Moreover, the X-37B has also been utilized to deploy small satellites. However, the missions conducted by these satellites remain undisclosed, leaving experts curious about their purpose.

One of the notable features of the X-37B is its autonomous landing system. While it takes off vertically like traditional rockets, it lands horizontally like planes, making it a versatile and reusable space vehicle.

As the X-37B embarks on its groundbreaking mission, the objective of enhancing space operations and expanding knowledge looms large. While the details remain shrouded in secrecy, it is clear that the X-37B represents a remarkable feat of engineering and a key asset for the United States' space endeavors.