Boeing’s second X-37B OTV completes first flight

[Nishan_101]

The second Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) for the US Air Force (USAF) has successfully completed de-orbit and landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, US.

Launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, US on 5 March 2011, the X-37B concluded a 469-day experimental test mission, which was conducted to test the reusable capabilities of the unmanned vehicle.

Boeing Government Space Systems vice president, Paul Rusnock, said the OTV-1 mission demonstrated how unmanned space vehicles can be sent into orbit and safely recovered.

"With OTV-2, we tested the vehicle design even further by extending the 220-day mission duration of the first vehicle, and testing additional capabilities," said Rusnock.

A combination of an aircraft and a spacecraft, the low-cost responsive OTV was the US first unmanned vehicle to independently return from space and land.

The OTV-1 space shuttle was also the only vehicle that was capable of returning to Earth and being reused.

The second launch of OTV-1 will be conducted by the end of 2012.
Intended to present a reliable and reusable unmanned space test platform for the USAF, the objectives of the X-37B programme include space experimentation, risk reduction, and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies for future space missions.

 

[OrionHunter]

Many think that the vehicle's mission is defence or spy-related. There are rumors circulating that the craft has been kept in space to spy on the new Chinese space station, Tiangong. The Pentagon has steadfastly refused to discuss its mission but amateur space trackers have noted how its path around the globe is nearly identical to Tiangong-1.

Scientists in protective suits going to inspect the X-37B

The X-37B sits on top of an Atlas V rocket as it's launched at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida

Although it resembles a small space shuttle it is not designed to carry humans. It's wingspan is a mere 4.5m with a length of 8.9m. It is powered by batteries and solar cells

Note also the 'Experiment Bay' in the diagram above. There's enough space in there to carry nukes! Is it a reusable platform for keeping nukes on the ready to be released anywhere across the world at short notice? A dozen of these nuclear armed craft can be kept orbiting in space permanently to ensure global coverage.

This has been designed and developed at Boeing's Top Secret Phantom Works, as part of Black projects.

 

[Esc8781]

Maybe one of its jobs are to defend the satellites from missiles maybe?