What Is the Purpose of the Pentagon's Secret X-37B Space Drone?

[tionis]

http://nypost.com/2014/09/28/what-is-the-pentagons-secret-space-drone-doing/

Cool article. Couple of questions: Why do they need to use self-contained atmospheric protective ensemble suits around the drone? Is that yellow object the man is carrying in the first pic a Geiger counter?

 

[boneh3ad]

Considering that most details about this vehicle are classified, I'm my sure you will get a definitive answer.

 

[tionis]

You're right, but maybe someone here can give an educated guess. That attire they're wearing seems excessive unless the drone is radioactive or has some toxic coating or something. Maybe it's powered by a small nuclear reactor? I could speculate...lol.

 

[Q_Goest]

The outfit the guys have on is called a SCAPE suit (Self Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensemble). The only reason I know of for wearing one is to protect you from toxic propellants, most likely hydrazine which is commonly used for those small thrusters used for attitude adjustment. They might be wearing them because they suspect a hydrazine leak and the yellow box could be something to detect it with.

I suppose it's possible that there's something radioactive on board, but I can't imagine what it could be.

 

[tionis]

A hydrazine leak -- definitely a good reason to wear those suits.

 

[nsaspook]

It could be hydrazine or several other extremely hazardous oxidizers used as rocket fuel. We used Chlorine trifluoride to clean chambers of process byproducts but the stuff was so dangerous we removed it after a few false alarms.

http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2008/02/26/sand_wont_save_you_this_time.php

 

[tionis]

nsaspook, did you wear one of those suits?

 

[Aaronvan]

Highly toxic chemical propellants may leak from the vehicle. Same thing when they received the space shuttles.

 

[nsaspook]

nsaspook, did you wear one of those suits?

We have A level suits for the response team.
http://www.sustainablesupply.com/Dupont-TK554TLY3X000100-Suit-Level-A-Yellow-p/w132796.htm

CIF3 Safetygram from a supplier.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/70607697/Safetygram-39-ClF3

 

[stinsonbr]

A possible fuel leak is definitely a good reason to wear those. Hydrazine specifically is insanely toxic, and even short term exposures can lead to terrible things.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

A little update

Mysterious Air Force space plane to land soon
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/13/us/air-force-space-plane/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

 

[tionis]

More teasing from the Air Force: http://news.yahoo.com/sky-mystery-space-plane-why-190847322.html