The secret X-37 space plane is about to fly

[Ivan Seeking]

... The 29-foot spacecraft resembles a mini space shuttle and will launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida between about 7:50 p.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern time atop an Atlas V rocket. (Click here for the webcast.)

Other than the launch itself, which Air Force officials jokingly concede they couldn’t keep secret even if they tried, most of what the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle program is all about is classified

...Some details emerge
Broadly speaking, the program is expected to test the Air Force's ability to launch the spacecraft, keep it up for months at a time, return it to earth, and fly again. The length of its visit to space appears central to the mission.

The X-37 is able to fly for as long as 270 days powered, the Air Force hopes, by a combination of lithium ion batteries and a set of solar panels. Air Force officials will want to see how well the lithium ion batteries onboard stand up to the long deployment. The batteries are “recharged” by a set of solar panels inside the spacecraft that will emerge once the craft has deployed from the rocket that will carry it into space...
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2010/0422/Pentagon-X-37-space-plane-to-launch-amid-secrecy

[joelupchurch]

I hope this is true. A quick turnaround space vehicle would be an enormous benefit to our space program both civilian and military. I assume that the X-37 will normally operate unmanned? If this was a manned mission, I think they would have mentioned it.

I wonder if one of the first missions will be to replace some of our GPS satellites?

[Topher925]

Well this kinda came out of nowhere. Heres a little more information from a not so religious sources.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3077821/ns/technology_and_science-space/

[Ivan Seeking]

Well this kinda came out of nowhere. Heres a little more information from a not so religious sources.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3077821/ns/technology_and_science-space/

:rofl: It just happened the be the first link that came up. They are a highly respected news agency.

[joelupchurch]

Well they sure launched something. I could see it from my front yard. It was also on the local news.

[joelupchurch]

The video is up in Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdCpuv9RCwE

[joelupchurch]

Central Florida News 13 has video on their web site now.
http://www.cfnews13.com/Space/DestinationSpace/2010/4/22/atlas_launch.html

They actually had a reporter out at Cape Canaveral covering the launch. Were any national news organizations out there covering the story?

[Ivan Seeking]

:rofl: And it would seem there is nothing more to be said. I suppose that is to be expected given that we're not supposed to know anything about it!

[LURCH]

looks like a paper mache' shell around a spy sattelite!