Posted on 09/30/2012 12:32:56 PM PDT by garjog
The mysterious US Air Force (USAF) space plane that ended a top secret 15 month mission over the summer could have its base of operations consolidated to the state of Florida, according to recent media reports.
The unmanned X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, which departed from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in March 2011 but landed at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in June 2012, could have its third flight both begin and end in the Sunshine State, an Air Force spokesperson told Florida Today reporter Todd Halvorson on Friday.
USAF Rapid Capabilities Offices representative Major Tracy Bunko said that officials were “looking at space shuttle infrastructure for possible cost-saving measures, including the potential for consolidating landing, refurbishment and launch operations at Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.”
(Excerpt) Read more at redorbit.com ...
Implied is “only if Florida votes for Bathhouse Barry.”
That limits the types of missions they could achieve (in particular, recon missions).
And, no, I have no idea what this tells us.
X-37B, OTV-3 launch set for 25 October 2012.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av034/stacking.html
Another upcoming launch
Falco 9, 7OCT2012, 5:34 p.m. PDT/8:34 p.m. EDT
Watch it live at http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/004/status.html
Related:
SpaceX’s reusable rocket testbed takes first hop
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1209/24grasshopper/
Reusable Falcon 9 concept:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX2-qEC7P_I
Cool article:
Hybrid rocket engine with acrylic and gaseous oxygen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLPWqCMb7DE
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