Posted on 12/01/2010 8:42:50 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
So, the world’s most mysterious UAV is set to return to Earth after spending nearly eight months in space where it did lord only knows what.
Courtesy of the LA Times:
The X-37, an unmanned spacecraft that resembles a miniature version of the space shuttle, is set to land at Vandenberg Air Force Base as early as this week — more than seven months after it was launched into orbit.
The Air Force, which has been developing the X-37 pilotless space plane, has kept the ultimate purpose of the program hush-hush. It was launched April 22 from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
The Little Spaceplane That Could came on-line as the U.S. began to wind down space shuttle ops. As many know, space shuttle missions often split public NASA missions with secret Defense Department missions launching spy payloads into orbit. Well, the Boeing-built X-37 looks a lot like a mini space shuttle, complete with what looks like a cargo bay for launching or recovering mystery payloads. (Many people speculate that it is used to ferry weapons into space.)
While there’s been a ton of speculation as to what the X-37 spaceplane does, I’d venture to guess a lot of its “experimental” missions have to do with Space Situational Awareness. Simply put, figuring out what everyone else is doing up there.
(Excerpt) Read more at defensetech.org ...
Muslim outreach, most likely.
Ping
Yeah... in one way or another, you could say it does have that ability.
Amateur were trying to keep up with it for awhile. One even managed to photograph it silhouetted against the the sun while it was in orbit.
The Air Force has a branch called Space Command. It is a given they aren’t doing humanitarian work with their toys.
“The Air Force has a branch called Space Command.”
I was in the Navy from 3/67 - 12/70. The Air Force used to leave me quivering.....mostly in laughter!
Placing Obama’s birth certificate and college transcripts safely into Earth’s orbit.
Watch it now, make those Chair Force guys mad, and you will never get a T time on any of their bases again.
Probably spying on other countries satellites.
Do spy satellites ever need to be refueled? I would think that this would be something that mini-shuttle could do.
“Watch it now, make those Chair Force guys mad, and you will never get a T time on any of their bases again.”
<;-)
They let the satellite “die” by plunging it in the atmosphere. I know DARPA is working on refueling a satellite but I think that the X-34 and X-37 can do this task.
Wish my X carrier pilot bro in law was here.....he knows
more Air Force jokes than I know Lucas Electrics jokes!
Space Command to Major Tom.....
It’s prohibited to refuel your own satellite in New Jersey; full service only.
I know that is supposed to be funny, but did you know the Russians actually use something very similar to that for super sensitive conversations?
Soviet GRU defector Vladimir Bogdanovich Rezun described it just like that in his book “Aquarium”, which he published under the pen name of Victor Suvurov. The only difference I can see, is that in his description, Rezun said the device had a flexible hose connecting the bubble helmets.
It can also, of course, bring things into orbit in that same bay.
Even people.
Or bring them back, too - like in an emergency.
Anybody remember the "XRV Rescue Glider" from the 1969 movie "Marooned"?
And here's the NASA X-38 experimental space rescue vehicle:
And here is the actual X-37 UAV currently in orbit:
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