Tag Archives: x-37b
Air Force’s mysterious X-37B space plane heads back to orbit May 16th
Air Force’s X-37B space plane lands after record 780 days in orbit
There was no doubt that the US Air Force's X-37B was going to break its own record for time spent in orbit, but it's now clear by how much. The mysterious Boeing-made space plane has landed at Kennedy Space Center after 780 days in orbit, comfortabl...
The Air Force’s secret space plane sets a new record: 718 days in orbit
The U.S. Air Force's X-37B space plane has been orbiting Earth since September 7th, 2017, crossing the 718 day mark and breaking its previous record of 717 days, 20 hours and 42 minutes in flight. While little is known about the classified X-37B, we...
SpaceX will launch a secretive space drone for the Air Force
Drone is the first spacecraft in years to use a key Shuttle runway
Kennedy Space Center is slowly coming back to life, but you almost wouldn't know it by looking at the Shuttle Landing Facility. While it has seen some limited use for aircraft in recent years, it hasn't been used for an orbital mission landing since....
X-37B Spacecraft OTV-3 Mission Nears a Year in Orbit
The USAF launched the mysterious X-37B spacecraft on December 11 of 2012 for its OTV-3 mission. It has been almost a year now and the spacecraft is still in orbit. Exactly what the mission of the X-...
USAF relaunches its first X-37B on a slightly less mysterious spaceflight
The US Air Force's aims with each X-37B mission continue to be shrouded in secrecy, but we're learning a little more now that it has launched the autonomous space plane for a third time. In once more flying the OTV-1, the original vehicle that reached orbit in 2010, the military branch is clear that testing reusability is a major goal: it wants to know if these spacecraft can take more than one trip without suffering ill effects. We likewise know that navigation, re-entry and other basics will be under scrutiny, even if the military won't talk about the payload. Just when we'll see OTV-1 back on Earth is another matter. The USAF is still standing by its official line that the X-37B is built to stay spaceborne for nine months, but it's remaining open to longer missions if conditions permit. Given that OTV-2 took more than a year to return, we wouldn't be surprised if we're just becoming comfortable with 2014 by the time the vehicle's sibling touches down.
Continue reading USAF relaunches its first X-37B on a slightly less mysterious spaceflight
Filed under: Transportation, Science
Source: The Register
Air Force to Launch X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Today
The United States Air Force has flown its experimental X-37B orbital test vehicle on several occasions. What exactly the spacecraft did while it was in orbit is unknown. What we do know is that in June of this year the spacecraft landed after spending over 15 months in orbit.
The Air Force is set to launch the X-37B back into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Exactly what’s inside the spacecraft and what its mission is yet again a mystery. All Air Force officials are confirming is that the unmanned space plane provides a way to test technologies in space, such as satellite sensors and other components.
Launch is planned for 10:03 AM PST. Today’s launch will mark the third time the Air Force has sent one of the test vehicles into orbit. The first X-37B launch was in April 2010 and it stayed in orbit for 224 days. The second launch saw the spacecraft orbit for 469 days.
Odds are the X-37B will once again spend a significant amount of time orbiting the Earth. Some analysts have speculated that the aircraft is a precursor to some sort of orbiting weapon capable of dropping bombs or disabling foreign satellites while in orbit. The Pentagon continues to maintain that the spacecraft is nothing more than a testbed for technologies.
[via LA Times]
X-37B finally touches down, completing its not-so-secret classified mission (video)
After more than a year of circling the globe, the US Air Force's X-37B has finally touched down at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The unmanned, reusable space plane spent 469 days in orbit, performing a number of experiments (many of which are classified) before finally ending its lengthy run Saturday. What exactly the military has learned from the extended orbital excursion is unclear, but, like the Mars rovers before it, the X-37B turned out to be far more robust than many had anticipated. Its mission was originally intended to last just nine months, but its operators managed to milk about six more months out of the craft. While we wait to find out what the next step is, enjoy the video of it landing after the break.
Continue reading X-37B finally touches down, completing its not-so-secret classified mission (video)
X-37B finally touches down, completing its not-so-secret classified mission (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 13:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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