Boeing Suggests Possible Manned Version of the X-37B Space Plane

garymortimer writes with an article in sUAS News. From the article: "A Boeing chief has suggested that the company's mysterious unmanned space-plane, called X-37B, developed for the US Air Force, could be scaled up and modified to carry astronauts. The company's X-37B project chief Art Grantz revealed that at least two more versions of the 9-meter long space-plane are under investigation – one of which involves adding a crew to a much-enlarged version of the space drone, New Scientist reported. If built, the new version would give the US back its ability to shuttle people to the International Space Station."

Comments

Nice one

[Dunbal]

Promise a manned vehicle to access a space station that is to be de-orbited in 2016-2020. So considering it's almost 2012, you now have 4 years to finish this project. Yeah right. Oh wait I see the game now. The project will be finished 6 months before the ISS is de-orbited, and so there will be calls for a new space station to give this next generation "shuttle" a reason for existing. This is better than the job creation lawyers engage in!