SpaceX Will Launch Secretive X-37B Spaceplane's Next Mission (latimes.com)

schwit1 quotes a report from Los Angeles Times: SpaceX will launch the Air Force's X-37B experimental spaceplane later this year, in the military's latest vote of confidence in the Elon Musk-led space company. This will be the first time SpaceX has launched the uncrewed robotic vehicle. United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp., has launched the spaceplane's previous four missions atop one of its Atlas V rockets. The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, which is responsible for the X-37B's experimental operations, said it was "very excited" for the fifth flight, which will test how special electronics and heat pipes will fare during a long-duration space mission. The Air Force has two of the spaceplanes, which look like miniature versions of the space shuttle and are known officially as X-37B Orbital Test Vehicles. The first X-37B was launched in 2010.

Comments

Re:Whats experimental and secretive about it?

[phayes]

It can stay in orbit for months to validate technology which cannot be tested any other way.
It soft-lands so that the experiments can be controlled and validated
It can be launched on any EELV compliant launcher
It doesn't cost >$1B to refurbish for each launch.

I don't recall all of these existing 40 years ago in a single vehicle...