X-37 in the hangar after landing. Credit: Boeing/USAF
Last Saturday the US Air Force's super secret (well, not too super
secret) X-37 space plane touched down at Vandenberg Air Force Base in
southern California. Although the USAF will not tell us what it's
classified mission was, we do know that this fantastic machine has been
in space for a year and three months! It's clear to see that the SPace
Shuttle is not quite dead yet, as the design lives on in this remarkable
spacecraft. Even the heat tiles and structure colors are similar. The
tail is a little different... oh, well. This beauty blasted off from
Cape Canaveral, Florida in March 2011 on top of an Atlas 5 rocket (more
on that rocket below). During its mission many space fans pondered its
purpose and secret mission. Maybe someday we'll find out, but we can
reasonably be assured that part of its mission was testing the craft
itself in low Earth maneuvers. This is the second X-37 to fly, the first
one made a 244-day mission in 2010. That spaceplane will soon be off on
another mission.
Blastoff This morning from Cape Canaveral. Credit: ULA
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) sent another classified
satellite up into orbit on board an Atlas 5 rocket. This classified
mission is designated NROL-38, and some spacewatchers have guessed it
may be a communications satellite which will be used to coordinate
transmissions from other secret satellites. An educated guess, since
there are lots of smart people watching these missions. For me the best
part of this mission is that it's the 50th successful launch of the
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program, or EELV. Besides the Atlas 5,
the Delta 4 rocket has helped to make this series an important NASA
transportation system as well as for the Air Force and NRO. The Atlas 5
is calculated to be used for the test launches of the Orion capsule
being developed by Lockheed and NASA in a couple of years.
Atlas 5 on the left, Delta 4 on the right. Credit: ULA.
By Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator
