Star Wars: Air Force Launches Robotic Space Plane
Holy crap! Let the Star Wars begin!
The Air Force launched an unmanned “space plane” into Earth’s orbit.
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle took it’s inaugural flight on an Atlast 5 rocket. The Air Force said the launch was successful, but didn’t say much more.
They haven’t said how long the mission will last or what experiments they would be doing beyond testing the craft.
“The top priority technology demonstration on this first flight is the vehicle itself,” Gary Payton, the US Air Force’s deputy under secretary for space programs, told journalists on a teleconference this week.
“Getting it into orbit, getting the payload bay doors open, the solar array deployed, learning about on-orbit attitude control and bringing it all back.”
OK, so the Star Wars might be a little far off. But what an eerie step. I cannot wait to see how long the craft can stay in space. The solar array suggests that it could be a longer stay in space than a simple plane in space. It would be the ideal craft for pre-loaded experiments — just send it up and wait for a while. This could mean cheaper science without crowding the always-cramped manned shuttles.
An Air Force statement made the launch sound more dubious than this science fun time though.
“This launch helps ensure that our warfighters will be provided the capabilities they need in the future,” said Col. Andre Lovett, vice commander of the Air Force’s 45th Space Wing, in a statement.
I wonder if we’ll see a similar spacecraft from China, Russia or India soon.
[Via BBC]
