X-37b Spaceplane
June 26th 2010 02:50
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X-37B Pre launch
The Space Shuttle will soon be retired it has been flying for almost 30 years.
Its first generation replacement currently being tested by the US Air force has already been in unmanned test flights into space.
The X-37B is a scaled version of X-40A a high suborbital altitude plane.
The X-37B test vehicle behaves more like a plane than just a glider its design dating back some 10 years.
spaceplane is a hybrid aircraft designed to fly up to
extreme altitudes low earth orbit space missions and return to the Earth's
surface. It combines some of the features of an
aircraft and some of a spacecraft. Typically, it takes
the form of a spacecraft with wings.
X-37B ready for launch
The Boeing X-37 Orbital Test Vehicle will have a role in future support space mission goals, X-37 was designed to rendezvous with coalition satellites to refuel them, or to replace failed electronic equipment using a robotic arm. 2006, the U.S. Air Force announced it would developed the X-37B from the NASA X-37A The X-37B can remain in orbit for up to 270 days .
General characteristics
Crew: None
Length: 29 ft 3 in (8.9 m)
Wingspan: 14 ft 11 in (4.5 m)
Height: 9 ft 6 in (2.9 m)
Loaded weight: 11,000 lb (4,990 kg)
Powerplant: 1× Rocketdyne AR2-3 rocket engine, 6,596 lbf (29.341 kN)
Power: Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells with lithium-Ion batteries
Payload & Payload Bay: 500 lb (227 kg), 7 ft x 4 ft (2.1 m x 1.2 m)
Performance
Orbital speed: 17,500 mph, 28,200 km/h
Orbit: Low Earth orbit
Orbital Mission time: 270 days.
Source: airspacemag.com,USAF, NASA
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by CarlCan
Astroearth
Camera Sense
It also seems that society and governments have become a bit lack luster towards space exploration in general, we need new challengers.