X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle / Robotic Space Plane

[going_home]

After a decade of development, the Air Force this month plans to launch a robotic spacecraft resembling a small space shuttle to conduct technology tests in orbit and then glide home to a California runway.

The ultimate purpose of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle and details about the craft, which has been passed between several government agencies, however, remain a mystery as it is prepared for launch April 19 from Cape Canaveral, Fla.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100403/ap_on_sc/us_mystery_spacecraft


http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100403/capt.2e5e7719ec3f4409b82547488fa52ae2-2e5e7719ec3f4409b82547488fa52ae2-0.jpg


:ninja:

[chafnerjr]

I just hope they'll let us go space jumping from it!

[MoeMag]

Unless it has a warp nacelle in there... big deal. aside from the unmanned technology this is about as revolutionary as the 1981 hatchback ford mustang. (same model year as the space shuttle)

We haven’t done much of anything in the way of space flight in... almost 30 years.

oh... and almost 40 since we have even gotten farther than low earth orbit.

[Frizzle Fry]

It looks like it's made out of spare parts.

$5 says the "mysterious purpose" is a bet between agency heads who said "I betcha I can cut the front off a nuclear sub and make it fly with 3" wings" and "No way, it is SO on."