Posted on 12/06/2009 4:42:05 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
It's been a long wait—in some ways, more than 50 years—but in April 2010, the U.S. Air Force is scheduled to launch an Atlas V booster from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying the newest U.S. spacecraft, the unmanned X-37, to orbit. The X-37 embodies the Air Force's desire for an operational spaceplane, a wish that dates to the 1950s, the era of the rocket-powered X-15 and X-20. In other ways, though, the X-37 will be picking up where another U.S. spaceplane, NASA's space shuttle, leaves off.
(Excerpt) Read more at english.kompas.com ...
bttt
From the article:
The U.S. program started out relatively open to view, a research effort jointly shaped by the Air Force, NASA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and Boeing. The Air Force ordered the first prototype, the X-40A, from Boeing in 1996. When it came time to produce the next iteration, the X-37A drop-test vehicle, NASA had the company increase the size by about 20 percent.
But since then, the X-37 has taken a winding and perplexing path among NASA, DARPA, and the Air Force. From 2004 to 2006, DARPA oversaw it. Along the way, both the X-40A and the X-37A have been drop-tested (first over New Mexico in 1998 and California in 2006, respectively), which proved their automated approach and landing abilities. Finally the program was taken over by the Air Force. Today, call up any of these organizations and say “X-37” and it’s like spraying a garden hose at housecats. (Air & Space Magazine)
Dyna-Soar and not Apollo should have been our priority project.
Of possible interest ping?
“OUNDS GOOD!” assuming for Our AMERICA!
Therefore We can count on OBOZO doing everything he and his terrorist Friends can do to destroy this Program as well!!
Well, so much for that secret.
“Dyna-Soar and not Apollo should have been our priority project.”
There wouldn’t be a Dyna without an apollo
Agreed. The moon landings could have waited another decade. And there's a lot of doubt about whether the Soviets could have even done it in the '70s.
Apollo was all politics. A grand achievement, yes, but it left nothing upon which to build.
Then Nixon screwed the shuttle program up, and the rest is history.
Wow - that’s small. But I suppose without a crew - it doesn’t need to be too big. Still though...
They’ll advance it, just so long as the chicoms are getting their regularly scheduled paid updates. With the bummer in office half the Middle East is included in that as well.
In the future, look layoffs at Kennedy Space Center for those that were involved in shuttle launches.
Yup, that’s why I posted the picture; to show how small the dang thing is. It’s small enough to fit inside the Space Shuttle’s cargo bay.
Cheers
There is NOTHING he wont sell for the Right Price! and that has NOTHING to DO with the Security and Prosperity of OUR AMERICA!!
Bump
Oh no... The Obamessiah has decreed that he, and he alone, creates and/or saves jobs. Those NASA guys have nothing to fear.....
*trying to keep a straight face*
Cheers
I think it’s a good idea for putting material into space/orbit...They could eventually design one to be manned by several crew members if needed for short missions, or shuttling back and forth to the ISS.
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