Secret Space Plane Can't Hide From Amateur Sleuths

Secret Space Plane Can't Hide From Amateur Sleuths

www.wired.com

The U.S. military likes to be a little sneaky with its robotic space planes. Unlike typical spacecraft, these vehicles can shift their orbits, frustrating the global network of skywatchers who keep track of just about every man-made object rotating the planet.

But the sleuths have their tricks, too. They’ve tracked down the X-37B on its second secret mission. And the information the skywatchers are finding says quite a bit about the classified operations of this mysterious spacecraft.

It took the amateur sleuths nearly a month to hunt down the first X-37B after it launched on its inaug

(visit the link for the full news article)

I wouldn't have known about this plane if it hadn't been for ATS, now it's in the news again! Go amateurs!

My friend is a meteorologist and sent this to me as it was published in one of the forums about 30 mins later it was on wired.
It's got a few great photos of the plane. This is developing as another amateur captured a photo...

To be posted soon!

www.wired.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7869e4909876.jpg[/atsimg]

its to keep an eye on those pesky aliens

reply to post by crazydaisy

thank you for contributing!

Here's a video about it from CNN:



You can see it's captured movement at space.com or by following the link in the wired article.

I am on iPad so I can't see it till it's on YouTube.

If you read the bottom the photo was provided by the following..so although the amature were following this I think the bottom statement implies that US airforce provided the picture and below that the illustration was provided by the Space University...a little misleading by wire but a good post none the less

Photo: U.S. Air Force. Illustration: Scott Madry/International Space University

reply to post by chrismarco


Yes, the photo is a stock photo of what it looks like on the ground. it's currently in flight and you can see the video by following the link.

This vehicle has an amazing contrail, stays aloft for almost 300 days, it's unmanned and changes direction easily.

reply to post by crazydaisy


Nice foto, a bit like the shuttle.
But I believe the Russians have been operating similar space planes for decades.
Their cargo freighters, to the Mir space syayion and now the ISS, were and even now unmanned

reply to post by GrisGris


I know why the US government like to keep the X-37B so secret and on the down low. Its because for all thier whisperings and rumours about the blasted thing, it remains a thoroughly boring craft, with NOTHING new , clever or remotely interesting about it, and as if that wasnt enough of an indictment of the space program, or for that matter the black project program which currently controls it, its a blasted eye sore.
Seriously, you would have thought that they would have figured out how to make spacecraft more sleek and agile looking by now. It surely cannot help a craft to re enter the atmosphere when it has a nose like a prize fighter. This basic design principle might have been acceptable for craft built in the last centuary, but to still be making space craft look like they have stolen thier front ends from submarines is somewhat old hat, and cannot possibly be of any assistance to the mechanisms of space flight.

What a piece of ancient junk.
Just another experiment with a lifting body, nothing but diversion/a smokescreen.

It's an orbiter. Aerodynamics are useless in space. The sleeker a craft is the less usable room your have. It's just a reusable spy satellite that that are using to keep an eye on China North Korea and the Russians and such. I assume the main Idea is that it we can make it have such an unpredictable orbit. see those under don't know in real time when its making a pass. All the maneuvering uses up a regular satellites fuel too quickly where this one they just bring home and refuel. I am no expert on the topic.That is my uneducated guess on it's peace time main usage

Originally posted by TrueBrit

Seriously, you would have thought that they would have figured out how to make spacecraft more sleek and agile looking by now. It surely cannot help a craft to re enter the atmosphere when it has a nose like a prize fighter. This basic design principle might have been acceptable for craft built in the last centuary, but to still be making space craft look like they have stolen thier front ends from submarines is somewhat old hat, and cannot possibly be of any assistance to the mechanisms of space flight.

Why does something for space need to look sleek and agile? Its a craft with a specific goal, not something in a design contest to look cool. And its in space, so who cares about appearing agile anyways, its not like something is going to be agile up there.

I think the designers probably do know a bit more than you about spacecraft design and engineering, but go ahead and email the to tell them how uncool the X-37B looks. But first, maybe you should do some reading up on why there can be a need for a blunt shape.

mtc-m16.sid.inpe.br...

reply to post by firepilot


Why does it need to look sleek and agile? Because a) it ought to BE sleek and agile and b) due to the fact its not doing anything particularly impressive, or carrying equipment which is ground breaking, or engines which are n times more powerful, it had better have SOME design features which make it worth the obscene amount of money folks payed for it.
By the way, thanks for the info about the rounded nose cones, I understand the idea a lot better now.

If this is a secrt space plane:

1) How do you know its name?
2) How come there is a big photograph of it on the internet?

Is it just me, or does this look suspiciously like Thunderbird 2? lol

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~Keeper
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