Posted on 12/02/2010 9:18:40 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
After bidding farewell to more than 1,900 space vehicles, Vandenberg Air Force Base has worked to instead get ready to greet one very high-profile spacecraft.
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, the Air Force’s unmanned miniature space shuttle, is scheduled to land as soon as Friday morning at Vandenberg’s 3-mile-long runway.
“This is a historical first, not only for Vandenberg Air Force Base but also our Air Force and our nation to receive a recoverable spacecraft here and really take a step forward for unmanned space flight,” said Col. Richard Boltz, 30th Space Wing commander.
Launched from the East Coast in April, the secretive X-37B plane is from the Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office. The spacecraft is designed to conduct experiments in space and test technologies and can stay in orbit for up to 270 days.
Weather could interfere with Friday’s landing plans; Boltz said a rain system
moving south is creating a
60 percent likelihood the landing attempt would have to be delayed.
Officials have said the landing attempt could occur between Friday and Monday, with one shot for Friday, but multiple tries other days. They remain mum about what time the autopiloted plane can return.
The small vehicle with a wingspan of 15 feet, length of 29 feet, height of nearly
10 feet and weight of 11,000 pounds, doesn’t have a lot of lights, so officials say landing likely won’t be visible.
However, the spacecraft might create a sonic boom that could be heard on some parts of the Central Coast. Whether a sonic boom occurs — and can be heard by local residents — depends upon the vehicle’s speed, weather conditions and other factors.
(Excerpt) Read more at lompocrecord.com ...
Everyone keeps wondering what this little guy does, I think the answer lies in the name and history of whom it is operated by.
The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office...
One of their primary missions is counter-terrorism, the other is combat support and weapon systems development.
They say they ain’t weaponizing space, to that I say yeah... whatever.
It’s a spy spacecraft. It’s capable of seeing and listening through walls, including light steel/concrete structures, capable of photographing the digits pushed on a cell phone from orbit, and hearing both ends of the call. Not to mention earth penetrating radar up to 200 feet deep and capable of locking onto and tracking specific people and vehicles. I would also suspect it has jamming capabilities across the spectrum, including GPS signals. No doubt their working on energy beam weapons capable of quickly burning the brains of targeted individuals, making them appear to go quickly insane, causing sudden suicide like deaths etc...
ping
I’ll bet one or more astronauts in space suits could fit in it’s cargo bay in an emergency evacuation to be taken back to Earth safely.
I’ll also bet something that small, stuck on top of a standard class of rocket, could be prepared and launched very fast, in an emergency.
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