Secret rendezvous with Extra-terrestrials? Just kidding of course but was I the only one that had a flash for a great sci-fi plot?
Unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane lands after secret, two-year mission
11–20 of 177 posts
Re: Unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane lands after secret, two-year mission
#12Whatever the X-37B does, it seems to do it very well. This is its fourth mission. Missions - that don't need people - are the luckiest missions in the world..
I always imagine it creeping up on unsuspecting satellites like some kind of space puma. All up close and personal like, giving them a sniff and then slipping away undetected.
Re: Unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane lands after secret, two-year mission
#13This is the X-37B. There's a contract for an X-37C, 1.8x as big and possibly capable of carrying humans.[1] That would be a nice little spacecraft. It's time to get past capsules, without building something as big and fragile as the Space Shuttle. The USAF and Boeing aren't saying much about it, though. [1] http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/aerospace-engineering/spa...
Capsules aren't inferior. In fact they can land on planets and moons without atmospheres, unlike space planes. And once propulsive landing of capsules is implemented, they can land on Earth without a landing strip, and even on boats.
Re: Unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane lands after secret, two-year mission
#14Whatever the X-37B does, it seems to do it very well. This is its fourth mission. Missions - that don't need people - are the luckiest missions in the world..
Probably a space equivalent of the USS Jimmy Carter - i.e. hacking/surveilling unfriendly satellites.
My guess was to refuel spy satellites. I imagine those sats are tough and can survive a long time. But when they get low on gas they can only do station keeping. If you can count of fuel coming, there's a lot more freedom to shift the track a half a degree as needed.
It may be all electronic surveillance. I guess, you can count on satellites not changing after they're launched, so the electronics package would be good for a couple years. come back, get a new package for new surveillance.
Just delivering fuel though, has a lot of value, and you could keep using the same platform for a long long time. Seems to fit better with many multi year missions.
I'm sure somebody knows. But, you know, not me.
Re: Unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane lands after secret, two-year mission
#15This is the X-37B. There's a contract for an X-37C, 1.8x as big and possibly capable of carrying humans.[1] That would be a nice little spacecraft. It's time to get past capsules, without building something as big and fragile as the Space Shuttle. The USAF and Boeing aren't saying much about it, though. [1] http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/aerospace-engineering/spa...
Capsules aren't inferior. In fact they can land on planets and moons without atmospheres, unlike space planes. And once propulsive landing of capsules is implemented, they can land on Earth without a landing strip, and even on boats.
Yea, wings on spacecraft are about as elegant as parachutes. They can make sense for certain uses, but, as a rule of thumb, they are inelegant and not futuristic.
Re: Unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane lands after secret, two-year mission
#16This is the X-37B. There's a contract for an X-37C, 1.8x as big and possibly capable of carrying humans.[1] That would be a nice little spacecraft. It's time to get past capsules, without building something as big and fragile as the Space Shuttle. The USAF and Boeing aren't saying much about it, though. [1] http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/aerospace-engineering/spa...
Capsules aren't inferior. In fact they can land on planets and moons without atmospheres, unlike space planes. And once propulsive landing of capsules is implemented, they can land on Earth without a landing strip, and even on boats.
Way I see it is, if we can land a rover the size of a minivan on a different planet, we should be able to do this without much more effort. Money, perhaps, yes; but, we've already done it.
Re: Unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane lands after secret, two-year mission
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
Capsules aren't inferior. In fact they can land on planets and moons without atmospheres, unlike space planes. And once propulsive landing of capsules is implemented, they can land on Earth without a landing strip, and even on boats.
Yea, wings on spacecraft are about as elegant as parachutes. They can make sense for certain uses, but, as a rule of thumb, they are inelegant and not futuristic.
Technically, the space shuttle and this space plane are lifting bodies, which I think is pretty cool and elegant.
Re: Unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane lands after secret, two-year mission
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
Probably a space equivalent of the USS Jimmy Carter - i.e. hacking/surveilling unfriendly satellites.
My guess was to refuel spy satellites. I imagine those sats are tough and can survive a long time. But when they get low on gas they can only do station keeping. If you can count of fuel coming, there's a lot more freedom to shift the track a half a degree as needed. It may be all electronic surveillance. I guess, you can count on satellites not changing after they're launched, so the electronics package would be goo…
On-orbit satellite servicing and refueling has not been performed as of yet, but we are currently working on it: https://sspd.gsfc.nasa.gov/restore-l.html
Re: Unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane lands after secret, two-year mission
#19"high-flying assets"
Re: Unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane lands after secret, two-year mission
#20Surprised nobody's mentioned this possibility as it usually comes up re: the X-37B. Terrifying but I think not out of the question given the strategic potential of such a weapon.