X-37B Landing at Vandenberg AFB

The U.S. Air Force's first unmanned re-entry spacecraft landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 1:16 a.m. PST today, Dec. 3.

The X-37B, named Orbital Test Vehicle 1 (OTV-1), conducted on-orbit experiments for more than 220 days during its maiden voyage. It fired its orbital maneuver engine in low-earth orbit to perform an autonomous reentry before landing.

The X-37B is the newest and most advanced re-entry spacecraft. Managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (AFRCO), the X-37B program performs risk reduction, experimentation and concept of operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies.

"Today's landing culminates a successful mission based on close teamwork between the 30th Space Wing, Boeing and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office," said Lt Col Troy Giese, X-37B program manager from the AFRCO. "We are very pleased that the program completed all the on-orbit objectives for the first mission."

OTV-1's de-orbit and landing mark the transition from the on-orbit demonstration phase to a refurbishment phase for the program.

The Air Force is preparing to launch the next X-37B, OTV-2, in Spring 2011 aboard an Atlas V booster.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• X-37B
• Air Force Space Command
• Vandenberg
• AFSPC

[ornerybitch]

why were the techs wearing hazmat suits when they had compartments open on plane, but later in video men are walkng beside it in regular clothes?

[datzfast]

Russia built some shuttle copys but were chicken to test them. basically they bulit them out of penis envy but when it became time to use them they could not get them up. No amount of viagra is going to get them ready.

[addvanced]

@datzfast nasa new job was to make muslim relations better from vids posted and has been retired almost... funny though the Russians have all our shuttles...

did our gov. sell them out through the cia & london royal deal...

[addvanced]

@MyNameIsK777 dah we will let it be stolen by the cia selling the info...

or cheney selling the secrets or something close to it...

[MikeSluggo]

@vishnuvrv FLIR=Forward-Looking Infrared (Radar)

[MikeSluggo]

USAF= weaponization of space

[datzfast]

never mind i see USAF on the side NASA is dead in the water.

[datzfast]

so is nasa out of the loop on this military bird?

[TalksWithDirt]

This is what the shuttle should have started with. If we fly these things for the next few decades, modify them slowly and establish a pool of parts known to work we'll eventually make craft like the STS was supposed to be.

[infernalzen]

space is the next arena?