X37-B: 631 days in orbit and counting... Wow!

a reply to: Zaphod58

I wonder if it was more than just coincidence that Lockheed just released this cyber security promo video a couple days ago:

a reply to: Sammamishman

There are rarely coincidences when you dig into these things.

a reply to: Zaphod58

You guys see the new Northrop Grumman commercial with the big ole shadow on top of the clouds while the narrator talks about "bringing the future"

Man I got chills when I saw that lol. The shadow is eerily familiar to some concept drawings floating around.

IMO the x37 -b is the reason we canceled the shuttle program in the first place. One week in space for a person probably costs about as much as 6 months or so for this x37 - b I bet.

You can bet they are testing every possible aspect of this thing every chance they get right along side whatever groovy tests/jobs its got going in the payload bay.

a reply to: Sammamishman

This is pretty much the projected plan the USAF and other military branches outlined about 14 years ago...

a reply to: MystikMushroom

I know it is drifting off topic but I just thought the video release was right after they went all out to find the leak.
A couple of things I got from the video though: Hoodie = someone up to no good (a little un-PC I think). Also they are reading what we talk about here on ATS (1:10).

Looks like she's finally coming home:

Secretive US Robotic mini-shuttle to end 22-month mission on Tuesday

I know there are a *lot* of people dying to start ripping through the test data...

a reply to: Zaphod58

I thought of this thread when I read the LM press release about their optimism for a workable fusion reactor. I have read speculation that this optimism is based on their ability to contain the plasma with technology derived from adaptive optics - that is containing plasma ripples by shifting the magnets with adaptive technology. Thought is was an interesting theory that fits in nicely with the potential mission of the X37 and the development of the flying laser - same company and potentially the same tech...

BBC news reporting it landed Friday - well its Saturday afternoon in Aus - could still be friday and breaking news in USA!

www.bbc.com...

A US plane on a top-secret, two-year mission to space has returned to Earth and landed in California. The aircraft, resembling a miniature space shuttle and known as the Orbital Test Vehicle or X-37B, spent 674 days in orbit around the planet. It touched down at Vandenberg Air Force Base on Friday morning. The purpose of the plane remains unclear - a theory that it was taking a look at China's space lab has recently been downplayed by experts. Air Force officials have only told US media the aircraft performs "risk reduction, experimentation and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies"