Posted on 01/10/2017 6:41:16 PM PST by BenLurkin
Progress has been made on consolidating X-37B space plane operations, including the use of NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida as a landing site for the robotic space plane.
A former KSC space-shuttle facility known as Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1) was converted into a structure that will enable the Air Force "to efficiently land, recover, refurbish and relaunch the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV)," according to representatives of the aerospace giant Boeing.
X-37B vehicle development falls under the control of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems in El Segundo, California, which is Boeing's center for all space and experimental systems and government and commercial satellites.
The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office is leading the Department of Defense's OTV initiative, by direction of the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics and the secretary of the Air Force.
To date, only two reusable X-37B vehicles have been confirmed as constituting the space plane fleet. The current OTV-4 mission is the second flight of the second X-37B vehicle built for the Air Force by Boeing.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
I not saying it’s aliens...
cool plane. How do we pay for it? Print money or borrow from our great grand kids? ANYBODY???
Is this a “”” still up there we’re so good “”” report or a “”” oh crap we can’t get it down “”” thang ?
If it is a robotic vehicle, what are the two individuals in space suits doing?
Ground crew
60,000 lb payload - Space Shuttle
5,000lb payload - X-37
‘nuf said
If the payload is electronics based, not really. A 2012 era iPad2 had more processing capacity than the Cray 2 supercomputer introduced in 1985, during the early heyday of the shuttle.
The Cray 2 consumed 150-200 KW of power vs. sub-10W for an iPad2, and was huge - far larger than a 12:1 weight comparison ratio of a shuttle payload vs. a smaller X-37 payload.
So if the payload is electronics based, by today's standards a "mere" 5000lb payload could still blow away the capability of a 1980s era payload on the shuttle.
600 days. That is almost 2 years in continuous orbit, folks.
“How do we pay for it?”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You really don’t think those hammers and toilet seats $600 a piece do you ? s/
Do you ever ask that question about welfare, regulatory agencies, and entitlement programs?
“Do you ever ask that question about welfare, regulatory agencies, and entitlement programs?” Every day in every way.
Really? I’ve never seen it. Ping me next time you do.
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