The X-37B has previously launched atop the smaller Falcon 9 rocket.

X-37B 先前曾在較小的獵鷹 9 號火箭上發射。

The U.S. Space Force's shadowy X-37B is set for launch atop a SpaceX rocket.

美國太空軍神秘的 X-37B 計畫由 SpaceX 火箭發射。

The reusable space plane will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 7 for its seventh overall mission, designated USSF-52. 

這架可重複使用的太空飛機將於 12 月 7 日搭載 SpaceX 獵鷹重型火箭從 NASA 佛羅裡達州肯尼迪太空中心發射升空，執行其第七次總體任務，編號為 USSF-52。

This marks the first time that the X-37B will launch on a Falcon Heavy, according to a Space Force statement. Little is known about the capabilities and operations of the space plane, but Space Force says the mission will follow previous flights that used the X-37B as a test bed for launching experimental payloads and returning them to Earth.

根據太空部隊的聲明，這標誌著 X-37B 首次在獵鷹重型火箭上發射。人們對這架太空飛機的功能和操作知之甚少，但太空部隊表示，這項任務將遵循先前使用 X-37B 作為發射實驗有效載荷並將其返回地球的測試平台的飛行。

"We are excited to expand the envelope of the reusable X-37B's capabilities, using the flight-proven service module and Falcon Heavy rocket to fly multiple cutting-edge experiments for the Department of the Air Force and its partners," said Lt. Col. Joseph Fritschen, program director for the X-37B, in the statement.

「我們很高興能夠擴展可重複使用的 X-37B 的能力範圍，使用經過飛行驗證的服務模組和獵鷹重型火箭為空軍部及其合作夥伴進行多項尖端實驗，」中校說。X-37B計畫總監Joseph Fritschen 在聲明中表示。

Related: US Space Force's 1st official painting shows military space plane intercepting adversary satellite

相關：美國太空部隊的第一幅官方繪畫顯示軍用太空飛機攔截敵方衛星

It isn't known why the X-37B is launching atop a Falcon Heavy for the USSF-52 mission. Five of the space plane's previous missions launched on United Launch Alliance Atlas V rockets, while its fifth mission, USA-277, took off on top of SpaceX's smaller rocket, the Falcon 9 (Falcon Heavy consists of three Falcon 9 boosters strapped together). 

目前尚不清楚為什麼 X-37B 在執行 USSF-52 任務時搭載獵鷹重型火箭發射。這架太空飛機之前的五次任務是透過聯合發射聯盟Atlas V 火箭發射的，而其第五次任務USA-277 是在SpaceX 較小的火箭獵鷹9 號火箭（獵鷹重型火箭由三個綁在一起的獵鷹9 助推器組成）的頂部起飛的。

Such a change could suggest that the space plane is carrying heavier payloads or is sporting a new hardware configuration. So far, Space Force has only stated that the mission will "expand the United States Space Force's knowledge of the space environment by experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies," according to the statement.

這種變化可能表明太空飛機正在攜帶更重的有效載荷或正在採用新的硬體配置。聲明稱，到目前為止，天軍僅表示該任務將「透過試驗未來的太空領域感知技術，擴大美國天軍對太空環境的了解」。

However, Space Force's statement adds that the mission will carry a NASA experiment known as Seeds-2 that will test the effects that space-based radiation has on plant seeds during a long-duration spaceflight.

然而，太空部隊的聲明補充說，該任務將進行一項名為「Seeds-2」的 NASA 實驗，該實驗將測試長期太空飛行期間天基輻射對植物種子的影響。

The X-37B was built by Boeing and made its first flight in 2010. It's previous flight saw the space plane spend 908 days in orbit before landing at Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 12, 2022.

X-37B 由波音公司製造，於 2010 年進行了首次飛行。在上一次飛行中，這架太空飛機在軌道上飛行了 908 天，然後在 2022 年 11 月 12 日降落在甘迺迪太空中心。

Space Force released its first official painting last month that depicts a space plane somewhat similar to the X-37B engaging an adversary satellite in orbital combat. Space Force says the painting is purely fiction and shows a "futuristic intercept vehicle" derived from historical space plane concepts and the artist's imagination.

太空部隊上個月發布了第一幅官方繪畫，描繪了一架與 X-37B 有點相似的太空飛機，在軌道戰鬥中與敵方衛星交戰。太空部隊表示，這幅畫純粹是虛構的，展示了一種源自歷史太空飛機概念和藝術家想像力的「未來攔截飛行器」。