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SpaceX Rocket Launches X-37B Space Plane On Secret Mission, Aces Landing (space.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Space.com: The fifth mystery mission of the U.S. Air Force's X-37B space plane is now underway. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the robotic X-37B lifted off today (Sept. 7) at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. About 2.5 minutes into the flight, the Falcon 9's two stages separated. While the second stage continued hauling the X-37B to orbit, the first stage maneuvered its way back to Earth, eventually pulling off a vertical touchdown at Landing Zone 1, a SpaceX facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, which is next door to KSC. The Air Force is known to possess two X-37Bs, both of which were built by Boeing. The uncrewed vehicles look like NASA's now-retired space shuttle orbiters, but are much smaller; each X-37B is 29 feet (8.8 meters) long and 9.6 feet (2.9 m) tall, with a payload bay the size of a pickup truck bed. For comparison, the space shuttles were 122 feet (37 m) long, with 78-foot (24 m) wingspans. Like the space shuttle, the X-37B launches vertically and comes to back to Earth horizontally, in a runway landing. Together, the two X-37Bs have completed four space missions, each of which has set a new duration standard for the program. Exactly what the X-37B did during those four missions, or what it will do during the newly launched OTV-5, is a mystery; most X-37B payloads and activities are classified.
Just wondering, now that they have an 11 story (I think) tall empty, lightweight booster sitting on the pad, will they be able to get in indoors before Irma comes and literally blows it away?
Even if they do, are the structures strong enough to take a direct hit? (I guess so, they've been around since the space age).
Kudo's as always to Space X and their flabbergastingly awesome repeat landings of their booster stages! No matter how cheap the competition (China?) makes their expendable boosters, you can't beat reusing them. I understand that the Falcon Heavy has passed its engine tests (a cluster of three Falcon 9s). Good luck for their November launch! Please, please make getting to orbit 10x then 100x cheaper! (Unrealistic maybe but I can dream).
Too bad that the X-37Bs don't have enough delta-V to get themselves to orbit without using a second stage (with external fuel tanks?). Then we'd have an (almost) completely reusable launch system!
Here's the video webcast, in case you missed it. (22min) Does not include 2nd stage coverage, since it's classified.
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I can't wait to see them launching three at a time (Falcon Heavy)!!!!
Elon Musk is someone a lot of people love to hate. Say what you will, but I think this tech is fucking awesome and he's the one who made it possible. He's a dreamer with the unique ability to make some of his dreams come true. I'm also very happy because I knew private spaceflight was possible when I was younger, only I was never in a position to be able to prove it. I was laughed at more than once. This is a sort of vindication for me.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Five minutes of googling says the top X37B conspiracy is that it's powered by an EM drive (electromagnetic propulsion) that's reverse engineered from alien space ships. Neat-O!