Secret US Air Force unmanned space plane set for launch

debka ^ | 4/20/2010 | DEBKAfile

[rxsid]

"Secret US Air Force unmanned space plane set for launch

...

The 4.9-ton spacecraft - which has a wingspan of 4.27 meters and is 8.84 meters long - will be testing the long-duration ability of reusable space vehicles to stay in space for up to 270 days at an altitude of 200-800 km from earth before making an automatic landing at the Vandenberg Air force Base in California.

The duration and exact nature of the Orbital Test Vehicle's mission have not been disclosed by the US Air Force Capabilities Office which oversees the project. Some space experts are calling its launch the onset of the "weaponization" or militarization" of space. Our military experts describe the X-37B as the first unmanned space craft able to carry out combat missions outside Earth.

The X-37B will be launched Thursday by an Atlas-5 rocket. Originally built by Boeing's Phantom Works Division as NASA X-37, the space agency closed it down when funding ran out and turned the space plane over to the Defense Research Projects Agency (DARPA). In 2006, the Air Force took over the prototype."

More here:
http://www.debka.com/article/8730/

[al baby]

SHSSSSSSSSSSSS it was to be secrete

[TSgt]

[jonrick46]

I hope this thing does a thorough inventory of certain satelites up there.

[TSgt]

* Crew: None
* Length: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
* Wingspan: 15 ft (4.6 m)
* Height: 9 ft 6 in (2.9 m)
* Loaded weight: 11,000 lb (5,000 kg)
* Powerplant: 1× Rocketdyne AR2-3, 6,596 lbf (29.341 kN)

[rxsid]

Good stuff! Hopefully we haven’t “outsourced” any of the building of it.

[Nachum]

Now wait just a minute. I distinctly remember that Steve Austin was flying one of those right before he was made into the bionic man.

[saundby]

LOL!

Yeah, secret. I keep hearing all over about how super secret it is. I guess our media is leaving the writing duties over to the Iranian press.

Here’s a bit on it, with some real-world links:
http://warsporks.blogspot.com/2010/04/x-37b-so-secret-it-aint.html

[al baby]

Yeah and now Steve Austin is selling hearing aids

[saundby]

:D
Here's the real six-plus-million dollar man and his craft:

Bruce Peterson and the M2-F2

[ProtectOurFreedom]

After a couple decades looking at Space Shuttle photos, you expect this thing is huge, especially because there’s no frame of reference in the photo. But at a bit over 4 tons, it isn’t much longer or taller than a Ford Excursion.

[MHGinTN]

"The 4.9-ton spacecraft - which has a wingspan of 4.27 meters and is 8.84 meters long - will be testing the long-duration ability of reusable space vehicles to stay in space for up to 270 days at an altitude of 200-800 km from earth before making an automatic landing at the Vandenberg Air force Base in California." ... This is a weapons platform, not an exploration platform. But I'm sure NASA can be pursuaded to make a few experiements from it, to give it cover.

[MHGinTN]

Once known as ‘Dyna-Soar-a’ when I was not yet a teenager ... and I’m about to hit 65! The rolling crashes of this vehicle were featured on the Million Dollar Man opening scene.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Good stuff! Hopefully we haven’t “outsourced” any of the building of it.

Just the piloting for the aircraft to robots. They work for nothing.

[Oztrich Boy]

OK blabbermouth, what is it about “secret” you don’t get?

[rxsid]

"OK blabbermouth, what is it about “secret” you don’t get?"

lol!

[rxsid]

No doubt about it.