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/

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 website 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]

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!