Has the Air Force Landed Its Secret Space Plane?

2010-10-13 10:39:22

#51

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6670|'Murka

Mekstizzle wrote:
Depends on what kind of orbit it can switch from and to, even then surely it takes alot of energy to do that. This thing would have to carry loads of fuel. I dunno, doesn't seem like anything special. I don't even know where you got that from that it can switch up its orbit, it's not really practical.

If only the US focused more on Project Constellation and a mission to Mars. Instead they're more focused on trying to use space to fuck people up below.

And just how did you get to that conclusion? Everything here has been pure speculation by people who don't have the foggiest fucking clue about the true nature of the X-37 and it's mission.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2010-10-13 10:40:42

#52

rdx-fx: ...; +955|6850

Regardless of our resident Russian, and our resident Anti-American/Anti-Israeli.. we are discussing an American X-37 unmanned drone shuttle, right?

Shiny, cool, high-tech, advanced capabilities toy that noone else has right now, right?

And that CPU in your computer was designed .. where? If it says AMD or Intel, it's an American CPU.
(Possibly with certain elements designed in their Israeli R&D center. Hmmm... wonder if the Israeli design center puts in features that'd be illegal to design in in America.. like NSA/DIA/CIA accessibility features... Everyone pull out your tinfoil hats, it's time to get PaRaNoId!!!!! )

There are a few things we still do well.

2010-10-13 10:42:05

#53

Mekstizzle: WALKER; +3,611|6880|London, England

I was the one saying it's nothing special or new until you came in talking about how tactically awesome it is with its changing orbits and all of that. You're the one propping it up, I'm just dismissing it.

2010-10-13 10:46:23

#54

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6670|'Murka

Mekstizzle wrote:
I was the one saying it's nothing special or new until you came in talking about how tactically awesome it is with its changing orbits and all of that. You're the one propping it up, I'm just dismissing it.

I'm not propping anything up. Merely talking about how the ability to change orbits (brought up by someone else, btw) would be a game-changer in many different ways, both military and civil.

Sorry you don't know enough about orbital mechanics to participate in a meaningful way.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2010-10-13 10:51:01

#55

Mekstizzle: WALKER; +3,611|6880|London, England

Well even then that's nothing new.

2010-10-13 10:52:10

#56

Shahter: Zee Ruskie; +295|7034|Moscow, Russia

rdx-fx wrote:
Regardless of our resident Russian, and our resident Anti-American/Anti-Israeli.. we are discussing an American X-37 unmanned drone shuttle, right?

Shiny, cool, high-tech, advanced capabilities toy that noone else has right now, right?

And that CPU in your computer was designed .. where? If it says AMD or Intel, it's an American CPU.
(Possibly with certain elements designed in their Israeli R&D center. Hmmm... wonder if the Israeli design center puts in features that'd be illegal to design in in America.. like NSA/DIA/CIA accessibility features... Everyone pull out your tinfoil hats, it's time to get PaRaNoId!!!!! )

There are a few things we still do well.

russians had a toy lika that since 1988 - it's called Buran. granted, there isn't one capable of flying right now, only an empty hull they show off at MAKS'es, but...

Last edited by Shahter (2010-10-13 10:52:43)

if you open your mind too much your brain will fall out.

2010-10-13 10:58:38

#57

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6670|'Murka

Mekstizzle wrote:
Well even then that's nothing new.

Pretty sure it is, Mek. The ability to change orbits without massive fuel reserves or taking a very long time to do it--neither of which appears to be the case here--is something not yet seen.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2010-10-13 11:00:51

#58

Mekstizzle: WALKER; +3,611|6880|London, England

So now we're getting somewhere, how is this thing doing orbital changes if it's not doing it conventionally. Have they developed a new type of propulsion, from all the buzz I see nobody is talking about this specific aspect of the X-37 which is... interesting

2010-10-13 11:02:33

#59

rdx-fx: ...; +955|6850

Mekstizzle wrote:
I was the one saying it's nothing special or new until you came in talking about how tactically awesome it is with its changing orbits and all of that. You're the one propping it up, I'm just dismissing it.

Dramatically changing orbits like the X-37 appears to, is non-trivial.

Like driving 85mph in L.A. rush hour traffic, changing a flat while still moving at 85mph (dropping a payload into a precise orbit), then suddenly deciding to switch from the eastbound lane to the westbound lane without causing a wreck (i.e. changing orbits while avoiding orbital debris) and without slowing down.

Oh, and you're doing all this by remote control, from a few thousand miles away, moving about 300x as fast.

To put it another way, Iranian ICBM technology is still 5-10 years away from being able to lob a missile into space just long enough for it to do half an orbit, and come 'straight' back down on another point on the Earth.
The X-37, in comparison, is going up into space, playing around for 270 days, (on a whim) dancing around between orbits, visiting friends, then coming back down to whichever point on the ground it aims at - by programming, or by remote control.

Shahter wrote:
Russians had a toy lika that since 1988 - it's called Buran. granted, there isn't one capable of flying right now, only an empty hull they show off at MAKS'es, but...

And you all were our only legitimate competition for really cool space toys, or nuclear systems (weapons, reactors, submarines, etc).

2010-10-13 11:04:03

#60

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6670|'Murka

Mekstizzle wrote:
So now we're getting somewhere, how is this thing doing orbital changes if it's not doing it conventionally. Have they developed a new type of propulsion, from all the buzz I see nobody is talking about this specific aspect of the X-37 which is... interesting

Again...potential game-changer, depending on what's really going on.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2010-10-13 12:04:15

#61

Shocking: sorry you feel that way; +333|6258|...

payload of a medium sized truck...

hm...

hm...

obviously

https://orbitalvector.com/Space%20Weapons/Particle%20Beam%20Weapons/ion_cannon_firing-commandnconquer.jpeg

Last edited by dayarath (2010-10-13 12:08:12)

inane little opines

2010-10-29 15:58:12

#62

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6860|132 and Bush

Shahter wrote:
rdx-fx wrote:
Regardless of our resident Russian, and our resident Anti-American/Anti-Israeli.. we are discussing an American X-37 unmanned drone shuttle, right?

Shiny, cool, high-tech, advanced capabilities toy that noone else has right now, right?

And that CPU in your computer was designed .. where? If it says AMD or Intel, it's an American CPU.
(Possibly with certain elements designed in their Israeli R&D center. Hmmm... wonder if the Israeli design center puts in features that'd be illegal to design in in America.. like NSA/DIA/CIA accessibility features... Everyone pull out your tinfoil hats, it's time to get PaRaNoId!!!!! )

There are a few things we still do well.
russians had a toy lika that since 1988 - it's called Buran. granted, there isn't one capable of flying right now, only an empty hull they show off at MAKS'es, but...

I hope to christ you are joking.

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2010-10-29 19:41:05

#63

13rin: Member; +977|6738

Kmar wrote:
I hope to christ you are joking.

I thought you dropped in to tell us you saw it.

I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something. - Rodney Booker, Job Fair attendee.

2010-11-02 02:21:08

#64

Dilbert_X: The X stands for; +1,815|6365|eXtreme to the maX

mcjagdflieger wrote:
Dilbert_X wrote:
Trotskygrad wrote:
our massive R&D spending gets results better (more efficiently), especially in the military sector.
LOL, LOL and LOL.
so the U-2, SR-71, F-117, and consequently the B-2 mean nothing to you? Google the Skunk Works or something dude. All of these were accomplished with skeleton crews of engineers and mechanics. People like you are the reason people like me are lurkers.

Go look up what efficiency means.

Fuck Israel

2010-11-02 03:37:05

#65

11 Bravo: Banned; +965|5496|Cleveland, Ohio

go look up what troll means

2010-11-02 16:56:51

#66

Hunter/Jumper: Member; +117|6613

Dilbert_X wrote:
mcjagdflieger wrote:
Dilbert_X wrote:

LOL, LOL and LOL.
so the U-2, SR-71, F-117, and consequently the B-2 mean nothing to you? Google the Skunk Works or something dude. All of these were accomplished with skeleton crews of engineers and mechanics. People like you are the reason people like me are lurkers.
Go look up what efficiency means.

Lockheed ( when left alone* ) has a history of producing on time and well under budget, Hence ~ Efficiency

* no congressman demanding the left wing be manufactured in his district using green production methods, etc.

2010-11-04 14:59:31

#67

Commie Killer: Member; +192|6646

Hunter/Jumper wrote:
Dilbert_X wrote:
mcjagdflieger wrote:

so the U-2, SR-71, F-117, and consequently the B-2 mean nothing to you? Google the Skunk Works or something dude. All of these were accomplished with skeleton crews of engineers and mechanics. People like you are the reason people like me are lurkers.
Go look up what efficiency means.
Lockheed ( when left alone* ) has a history of producing on time and well under budget, Hence ~ Efficiency

* no congressman demanding the left wing be manufactured in his district using green production methods, etc.

And this is part of the reason why things cost so much here...

2010-11-18 17:31:51

#68

Hunter/Jumper: Member; +117|6613

Commie Killer wrote:
Hunter/Jumper wrote:
Dilbert_X wrote:

Go look up what efficiency means.
Lockheed ( when left alone* ) has a history of producing on time and well under budget, Hence ~ Efficiency

* no congressman demanding the left wing be manufactured in his district using green production methods, etc.
And this is part of the reason why things cost so much here...

up 3 and re-read

2010-11-25 23:21:34

#69

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6860|132 and Bush

Looks like its mission is rounding up http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1011/23x37bupdate/

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2010-12-01 23:42:51

#70

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6860|132 and Bush

The U.S. Air Force's clandestine X-37B space plane will glide back to Earth as soon as Friday and land on a concrete runway in California, the military announced Tuesday

Another X-37B spacecraft is under construction at Boeing Phantom Works for launch in the spring of 2011.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1011/30x37landing/
I imagine anyone around Vandenberg could possibly hear a couple sonic booms.

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2010-12-03 22:17:43

#71

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6670|'Murka

Landed today.

https://www.space.com/images/x-37b-space-plane-landing-photos-0-101203-05.jpg

The robotic X-37B space plane landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to end its maiden voyage. The space plane, also known as Orbital Test Vehicle 1, glided back to Earth over the Pacific Ocean before landing at the revamped Vandenberg runway at about 1:16 a.m. PST (0916 GMT) today (Dec. 3).

..........................

The Air Force has already ordered a second X-37B, the Orbital Test Vehicle 2, which is slated to launch on another test flight sometime in the spring of 2011.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2010-12-03 22:23:55

#72

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6860|132 and Bush

...glided back. It's pretty neat to see the shuttle glide back almost completely un-powered. To see something that large moving through the air with no sound is .. different.

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2010-12-06 00:30:48

#73

BVC: Member; +325|6954

It looks a lot smaller than I'd have thought.

2010-12-06 01:13:13

#74

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6860|132 and Bush

Pubic wrote:
It looks a lot smaller than I'd have thought.

Which makes you wonder what they are using to prevent burning up at about 3000f.
A smaller vehicle has a tougher time displacing the drastic temp changes.

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2010-12-06 09:32:19

#75

UnkleRukus: That Guy; +236|5295|Massachusetts, USA

Kmar wrote:
Pubic wrote:
It looks a lot smaller than I'd have thought.
Which makes you wonder what they are using to prevent burning up at about 3000f.
A smaller vehicle has a tougher time displacing the drastic temp changes.

It looks like it has heat resistant tiles all over the fuselage because of its poor heat distribution. I'm betting the material is going to stay classified for some time if its a military project.

If the women don't find ya handsome. They should at least find ya handy.

BF2S Forums Has the Air Force Landed Its Secret Space Plane?

Mekstizzle wrote:

Mekstizzle wrote:

rdx-fx wrote:

Mekstizzle wrote:

Mekstizzle wrote:

Shahter wrote:

Mekstizzle wrote:

Shahter wrote:

rdx-fx wrote:

Kmar wrote:

mcjagdflieger wrote:

Dilbert_X wrote:

Trotskygrad wrote:

Dilbert_X wrote:

mcjagdflieger wrote:

Dilbert_X wrote:

Hunter/Jumper wrote:

Dilbert_X wrote:

mcjagdflieger wrote:

Commie Killer wrote:

Hunter/Jumper wrote:

Dilbert_X wrote:

Pubic wrote:

Kmar wrote:

Pubic wrote:

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