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X-37B Found By Amateur Sky Watchers
otter42 writes "It seems that X-37B couldn't stay hidden forever. Launched a few weeks ago, The Flying Twinkie disappeared shortly after separation. Now it has been found in an orbit that takes it as far north as 40 degrees latitude. No additional information has been found about the spacecraft's capabilities or purpose, except for a US Air Force statement that the satellite has no space-weapons purpose. The X-37B is intended to fly for 9 months at a time, opening the door to possible space longevity experiments in addition to its spying tasks."
"in addition to its spying tasks." What tasks are these? Please elaborate, for the sake of accuracy of course.
"I find it amazing they've created a spaceship that can stay up in the sky for up to 9 months at a time."
Really? There are craft up there that will stay thousands of years.
And most of them are powered by solar arrays (though that's not what's keeping them up there)
Really? There are craft up there that will stay thousands of years.
That's like saying we shouldn't be impressed by subs being underwater for months because of all those shipwrecks doing it for centuries.
I find it amazing they've created a spaceship that can stay up in the sky for up to 9 months at a time.
How's that? There are no humans to feed or otherwise keep comfortable and alive. Small craft, electronics for spying, stable orbit. Sounds like it could stay up longer if needed.
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
When it won't carry people, and has no more the cargo capacity of a pickup truck?
Not really - put a space craft into the correct orbit and it will stay there until its systems fail. Longevity is not really a new thing introduced by the X-37B, its been a staple of geostationary satellites for decades.
Actually, it has a a robotic arm, so the X37B can be used to repair and refuel satellites in orbit. I'm not sure I believe the USAF when it says it has absolutely no space weapons purpose, however.
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Satellite. I do not think that word means what you think it means.
Does this look like a satellite to you? Does this? What would have to change about the X-37B to make you think it's a satellite, anyway? Put it in orbit? Well, you can check that off your list, because it's already there.
An all-wireless internet is not "the future" no matter how many times the "omg it has noe wiers!!!1" crowd say it is.
Show me a stable 10 Gbps transatlantic connection using satellites that requires little to no maintenance and which doesn't risk randomly interfering with other links (or being interfered with by other links) and I'll believe it's getting close. Until then fiber is still king no matter how much some people scream about "wireless!!1" like it's the second coming of christ.
Greylisting is to SMTP as NAT is to IPv4
Sshyeah. All you'd need is some way around weather patterns and LOS issues. Maybe you could set up some towers and fire the lasers through a glass medium so that they're undisturbed by local weather conditions....
But seriously, I'm on wireless and it's got a looooonnnggggg ways to go before replacing wires and fiber.
Satellite:
1) man-made equipment that orbits around the earth or the moon
2) any celestial body orbiting around a planet or star
Why, yes, it does, once it is on orbit.
Spacecraft without human pilots aren't good PR.
"Look what we did, we sent these guys to ...." is a much bigger sensation than "Look at the chunk of metal we sent up."
From the PR standpoint, the ISS is a big deal, because there are people on it. There's little interest in the almost 1,000 operational satellites floating around above us.
No one would care if Glonass 712 fell out of orbit. It would make a blurb on the news, and that would be the end of it. Now, if the ISS were to suddenly and uncontrollably deorbit, that would be international news for months or years.
Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.