APNews: Unmanned US spacecraft returns after 7-month trip

[IHOPSkins]

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) - The U.S. Air Force's secrecy-shrouded X-37B unmanned spaceplane returned to Earth early Friday after more than seven months in orbit on a classified mission, officials said.

The winged craft autonomously landed at at Vandenberg Air Force Base on the California coast 130 miles northwest of Los Angeles, Vandenburg spokesman Jeremy Eggers said.
"It's very exciting," Eggers said of the 1:16 a.m. PST landing.

The X-37B was launched by an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on April 22, 2010, with a maximum mission duration of 270 days.

Also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, the Boeing-built spacecraft was originally a NASA project before being taken over by the military.
The Air Force has not said whether it carried anything in its cargo bay, but insists the primary purpose of the mission was to test the craft itself.........

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20101203/D9JSDCF00.html

[HighOnHendrix]

So is this the first step to militarization of space? Or was placing this program in military hands a financial decision?

[Bang]

The first step in militarizing space happened a long time ago.
No matter what, throughout history every new frontier is immediately considered by the military as either a threat or an advantage to be gained and protected militarily. Nothing has ever been left alone.

~Bang

[Fergasun]

The first step in militarizing space happened a long time ago.
No matter what, throughout history every new frontier is immediately considered by the military as either a threat or an advantage to be gained and protected militarily. Nothing has ever been left alone.

~Bang

We haven't militarized Uranus yet...

[Larry]

I saw this story, earlier, and I'm clad to hear it. I wish it were manned, but I'm really glad to hear that we have autonimous landing capability. I know it's illogical, but I'm hopeful that this will put us closer to having the capability to have robots delivering large components to the space station and/or moon. A capability that I think we're going to need, for The Next Step.

And if putting it into the defense budget gets it funded, I've got no problem with it.

[JMS]

So is this the first step to militarization of space? Or was placing this program in military hands a financial decision?

The military has a lot of space vehicles. The DoD's space budget is actually larger than NASA's.

So Darpa is testing a new family of bombers which travel in "near space".. they will be able to be launged from CONUS and strike anywhere on the globe on 1 or 2 hours notice. They will cary no armerment but rely on speed alone for survivability...

The X-37B seems to be more of an unmanned recon plan. I have no clue, but I'm thinking that's the only thing an unmanned plane with such a long flight duration would be good for. Or maybe it's a bomber too. You launch it months in advance and you can tell it to bomb N. Korea on a seconds notice?

---------- Post added December-4th-2010 at 06:18 PM ----------

I saw this story, earlier, and I'm clad to hear it. I wish it were manned, but I'm really glad to hear that we have autonimous landing capability. I know it's illogical, but I'm hopeful that this will put us closer to having the capability to have robots delivering large components to the space station and/or moon. A capability that I think we're going to need, for The Next Step.

And if putting it into the defense budget gets it funded, I've got no problem with it.

Autonomous delivery of supplies or material to the space station is no big deal. Russia has had that for decades. NASA doesn't have it because NASA can't afford it.

The Military took over this project from NASA not because they are nice guys looking to help out NASA. They obviously saw military uses for the NASA project and that's why they are developing it and NASA isn't anymore.

[ardowling]

Here is some links to other sites which provides some detail into the capabilities of this bird.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/29577086/Space-Operations

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...highlight=x37b