X-37B Space Plane

[jjjnettie]

Isn't she sleek compared to the Shuttle!!
Bugger all payload though. And no robotic arm.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av012/100421preview/

[mswhin63]

Damn the thing is due to take off today or tomorrow, wonder if they will show it somewhere. Thanks for the heads up, looks cool.

EDIT - Found it http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/

[jjjnettie]

Thanks for the link.
Very interesting site.

[multiweb]

I reckon the designers played too much galaga. There was an arcade game like that with piled up stages space ship on each level, kind of alien invasion shoot'em up :)

[jjjnettie]

LOL I had a Mega Drive Marc. Love retro gaming.

[multiweb]

Really? I myself am a MAME32 freak :lol: I love this old stuff. Bit of nostalgia from high school days sinking all my pocket money in them.
Don't miss my mum's back hander though.."what? you already spent all of your monthly allowance?" :whistle:

[supernova1965]

Can anyone help a noob when it comes to international times as to when this is launched in australian time:thanx:

[jjjnettie]

I just use emulators now Marc. LOL I still love playing Alex the Kid.

[michaellxv]

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meetingtime.html?day=22&month=4&year=2010&p1=156&p2=240&p3=5&iv=1800

About 9AM tomorrow AEST

[jjjnettie]

Nothing seems to be happening on the Web cast.
I wonder if the mission has been scrubbed?

[jjjnettie]

tic... tic... tic... tic...
I love launches.
1min 50secs

[jjjnettie]

do you think they cut transmission on purpose for the separation?

[kinetic]

Not sure Nettie, I did have a dual dropout on both laptops
just before the 20min hold and thought maybe they won't
live broadcast the actual launch, being air-force etc....
Then it logged back on.
Maybe lot's of traffic relogging causes these hitches:shrug:

from their website:

quote>>
Thursday's Atlas launch will enter a news blackout after the rocket's Centaur upper stage completes its first burn about 17 minutes after liftoff. Any subsequent Centaur firings and deployment of the X-37B will not be announced.
"You can't hide a space launch," Payton said. "The main thing we want to emphasize is the vehicle itself, not so much what's going on during the on-orbit experimental phase. The vehicle itself is the piece of news here."

[jjjnettie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKKgmqxjCM8
It's on Youtube already!

[Nesti]

LOL Steve....yeah, juuuuuust in case we have a technical hitch.

The airframe itself isn't much of a milestone. What grabs me is that this thing will need to perform a good portion (perhaps all) of its re-entry/landing phase functions autonomously. Just like the launch and orbital insertion phase.

However, the savings made by not taking a crew (environmental control systems, crew O2, food, crew space, cockpit display and controls etc-etc) into orbit must be enormous in regards to increases in payload to vehicle all-up weight. Not to mention complexity and operational costs.

This thing's not very big at all, but I can easily envisage a vehicle 3 to 4 times its size carrying anything the Shuttle could. Robotic arms can be remotely controlled from Earth etc.