2015-025 Success

Atlas V 501 | OTV-4 (X-37B) (USA 261) (AFSPC-5) & ULTRASat cubesat deployer

May 20, 2015, 03:05 PM UTC

Track in KeepTrack

Launch Overview

Vehicle

Atlas V 501

Agency

United Launch Alliance

Site / Pad

CC / SLC41

Outcome

Success

Flight

AV-054

COSPAR Designator

2015-025

Mission

OTV-4 (X-37B) (USA 261) ( AFSPC-5) & ULTRASat cubesat deployer (Government/Top Secret)

It is the second flight of the second Boeing X-37B vehicle and the fourth flight of the program. United States Air Force Orbital Test Vehicle is an unmanned 5000 kg, 8.8 m-long reusable mini-spaceplane capable of autonomous re-entry and landing. The OTV-4 mission was to test Aerojet Rocketdyne's XR-5A Hall-effect thruster and conduct a NASA investigation for testing various materials in space. The mission concluded after 717 days in orbit, marking the first time X-37B landed on the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center.

Vehicle & Provider

Rocket

Atlas V 501

Provider

United Launch Alliance

Agency launches

97 (5 YTD)

Site launches

728 (9 YTD)

Pad launches

71 (3 YTD)

Payloads (12)

Piece Name Owner State Track
2015-025A X-37B No. 2 F2 AFRCO US Track
2015-025B Unix Space Server Langley USNA US Track
2015-025C Optical CubeSat 1 AFRL US Track
2015-025D ParkinsonSat-1 USNA US Track
2015-025E BRICSat-P USNA US Track
2015-025F Optical CubeSat 2 AFRL US Track
2015-025G GEARRS-2 NSL/AFRL US Track
2015-025H Optical CubeSat 3 AFRL US Track
2015-025J AC-8a AERO US Track
2015-025K AC-8b AERO US Track
2015-025L LightSail-A TPS US Track
2015-025M NPSCuL-3 ULTRASat USNPS US Track