This June 16, 2012 file image from video made available by the Vandenberg Air Force Base shows an infrared view of the X-37B unmanned spacecraft landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Posted on 10/17/2014 8:57:38 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The Air Force's secret mini-shuttle has finally returned to earth after spending nearly two years on a classified mission in space, military officials said today.
The X37-B space plane touched down this morning at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California after spending a staggering 674 days aloft.
One of the few things known about the space plane's classified missions is that it can stay in orbit for extended periods of time.
Measuring 29 feet in length and having a 15-foot wingspan, the unmanned re-usable orbital test vehicle looks like a miniature version of NASA's now retired space shuttles.
Like the space shuttle, the X-37B lands on runways, though it does so without pilots at the helm.
The latest flight was the plane's third mission. The X37-B will blast off on its fourth mission sometime next year from Cape Canaveral, the Air Force said.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
This June 16, 2012 file image from video made available by the Vandenberg Air Force Base shows an infrared view of the X-37B unmanned spacecraft landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Home again home again, [redacted]ity [redacted].
That’s one bad mumbo robo...
I understand it spent some time orbiting along side Red Chinese and Russian satellites, plucked them on board, and then replaced them with our own replica decoys...All reprogrammed of course.
Amazing!
The should have named it Gila monster
Then again, they would probably go to DEFCON 1. Obola would shrug, and say so what?
Or maybe “Steely Dan II”.
That’s interesting! Probably at the very least they were using a long-duration vehicle’s autonomous or remote control capabilities, but the length of time it was gone makes me wonder if it took a really long trip somewhere.
This actually makes a lot of sense. With proper remote control and not having to worry about human habitability it is the wave of the future. All the “life support” stuff can be pitched (major poundage) and the thing can stay up there for a year.
Kinda hate to see our heroic Astronauts going the way of the Dinosaurs...but this actually does make sense.
X-37-B landing
It’s a military test bed of some sort, but NASA did its best work as a consequence of Von Braun’s million-plus rocket engine (the F1) which was to be needed to deliver the Teller H-bomb, a design later abandoned in favor of a much smaller design. Von Braun wanted the engine for an eventual lunar program and took it with him.
IOW, astronauts will still be going to space, to the lunar surface, even to Mars, some asteroids, perhaps to Mercury.
Studying...
PRC satellite design
“. “. Tasking
Stealthy approach of satellites
“. Intercept of satellites
Satellite signal intercept and spoofing
Emplacement of parasitic signal relay apparati
Thanks to the greatest generation.
It’s about time.
Brilliant guys. Load up some Chinese satellites with some “Black Cat” fireworks for future use. You don’t need to blow up your own stuff, we’ll do it for you.
I think the mission is very interesting, and I've seen it fly-over and witnessed it change its orbital plane enough to miss a predicted fly-over a day or two later.
The public knows more about space exploration than reporters, and reading most "science reporting" these days is like attending a kindergarten class.
Consider this. Most hostile satellites would have comm gear and sensors pointed down towards earth. Approach from the high side, attach small device to solar panels, leave. Later on, device deploys, slowly covering an ever increasing portion of the panel. Available power drops, looks like failure in the panel, mission kill on the bird.... Or maybe it needed to change orbits up there looking for global warming. ...
Time to lose the “X”.
Can’t ground trackers watch where this is? I know it’s small, but I’ve watched satellites go overhead. Isn’t hard to hide? Clearly, not much anyone could do but watch. Until you blow the sat its chasing.
This is the worst kept “secret” mission in a long time. Guess that’s the way things are nowadays.
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