The Pentagon's X-37B Has Now Been In Orbit For 500 Days

Will The Pentagon’s Secret Space Plane Ever Return To Earth? -- Kyle Mizokami, Daily Beast

Nearly 500 days into its mission, the Pentagon still won’t say what its drone space shuttle is doing in orbit, or when it might come back.

The Air Force’s secret space plane has been up in orbit for nearly 500 days—a space endurance record. But nearly a year and a half into the mission, the Pentagon still won’t say what the X-37B is doing up there, or when it might come back.

The U.S. Air Force boosted the robotic X-37B atop the nose of an Atlas-5 rocket in December 2012. Since then it’s orbited the Earth thousands of times, overflying such interesting places as North Korea and Iran.

Similar to the Space Shuttle in appearance, the diminutive X-37B is about a quarter the size of the old shuttles. But there are major differences. Lacking a crew, the spacecraft has no cockpit windows. The X-37B has a payload bay about the size of a pickup truck bed.

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More News On The Pentagon's X-37B Being In Orbit For 500 Days

Endurance record in the books, Air Force's secret space plane continues its mystery mission -- al.com
Plane Sets Record in Space, But Mission Still a Mystery -- Newsmax
The Pentagon's Space Plane nears 500 days in the air, no one knows why -- The Celebrity Cafe
Mysterious Space Plane Has Been In Orbit For 500 Days, And The Pentagon Won't Say Why -- Bustle
Op-Ed: Secret U.S. space drone orbits Earth thousands of times -- Digital Journal

WNU Editor: The above video is a compilation of military experts speculating on the X-37B space plane.

U.S. Air Force's X-37B Breaks It's Own Record After Circling The Earth For 470 Days

Mystery Of The Pentagon’s Space Plane: X-37B Breaks Record After Circling Earth For 470 Days - But Won't Reveal What Mission Was For -- Daily Mail

* Spacecraft taken into orbit on a rocket but lands by gliding down to Earth
* Is the third and longest flight for mission which is shrouded in secrecy
* Some analysts suggest it will help support American soldiers in warzones
* Other rumours are circulating that the craft has been kept in space to spy on the new Chinese space station, Tiangong

A U.S. space plane, shrouded in secrecy, has broken its own longevity record by staying in orbit for more than 469 days.

The flight is the third for the X-37B mystery mission and was launched on December 11, 2012, atop an Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral.

Little is known about the spacecraft, which is taken into orbit on a rocket but lands like the space shuttle by gliding down to Earth.

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More News On The X-37B

Air Force’s X-37B breaks orbit record -- FOX News
Air Force’s X-37B Breaks Orbit Record -- Defense Tech
Pentagon's secret X-37B plane breaks space longevity record -- Space Daily/Voice of Russia
Top secret Pentagon spacecraft stays in orbit over 469 days, breaks longevity record -- Space Daily/Voice of Russia
Report: Air Force’s Unmanned Space Plane Close to 500-Day Orbit Mark -- Executive Gov

The U.S. Air Force Secret Space Plane X-37B Breaks It's Own Space Longevity Record

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle taxis on the flightline during testing at the Astrotech facility in Titusville, Florida in this U.S. Air Force handout photo dated March 30, 2010.(Reuters / U.S. Air Force)

Pentagon’s Secret X-37B Plane Breaks Space Longevity Record -- RT

One of the US Air Force’s most mysterious projects – an unmanned space-faring plane – has broken its own longevity record by staying in orbit for more than 469 days.

There aren’t many details floating around in public regarding the X-37B – a classified project that’s seen three launches into space thus far – but a new report by the IDG News Service suggests the plane is being used to test out the Air Force’s new space capabilities while also boosting the intelligence community’s surveillance capacity.

Launched back in December 2012, the Boeing-designed X-37B has been floating above the Earth ever since. The plane looks like a smaller cousin to NASA’s past space shuttle models, and has been designed with quick turn-around times in mind, so that it can easily be re-launched after landing.

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More News On The Air Force Space Plane X-37B Breaking It's Own Space Longevity Record

Air Force's X-37B Space Plane Shatters Orbital Endurance Record -- Huffington Post/Space.com
Air Force's Secretive X-37B Space Plane Shatters Orbit Record -- NBC
Air Force’s unmanned ‘shuttle’ breaks orbital endurance record -- Defense Systems
Classified X-37B space plane breaks space longevity record -- Computer World

U.S. Air Force's X-37B Completes Secret Sapce Mission

Air Force's Secret X-37B Space Plane Lands In Calif. After Mystery Mission -- MSNBC/Space

After spending over a year in space, the secret unmanned craft came home.

The U.S. Air Force's robotic X-37B space plane finally returned to Earth Saturday (June 16), wrapping up a mysterious mission that lasted more than year in orbit.

The unmanned X-37B spacecraft, also known as Orbital Test Vehicle-2 (OTV-2), glided back to Earth on autopilot, touching down at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base at 5:48 a.m. PDT (8:48 a.m. EDT, 1248 GMT). The landing brought to an end the X-37B program's second-ever spaceflight, a mission that lasted more than 15 months with objectives that remain shrouded in secrecy.

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More News On the Landing of The X-37B

Secret military mini-shuttle lands in California -- Reuters
Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Completes 469-Day Mission -- Bloomberg
Mystery Mini Space Shuttle X-37B Lands in California -- ABC
Unmanned Air Force space plane lands in California -- USA Today/AP
Military space plane returns to Earth after 469-day mission -- Examiner
Video: Secret Space Plane Shatters Orbital Record as Chinese Rival Looms -- Danger Room
Second X-37B completes classified space mission -- Aviation Week

After 15 Months In Orbit The Supersecret X-37B Is To Return To Earth

After 15 Months In Orbit, Secret Space Plane Finally Returning To Earth -- Danger Room

The U.S. military’s secret space plane is preparing to return from its second mission after an incredible 453 days in orbit (as of today). The robotic X-37B, which resembles a miniature space shuttle, is due to land at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California sometime in early to mid-June, depending on weather and other technical factors.

“The men and women of Team Vandenberg are ready to execute safe landing operations anytime and at a moment’s notice,” Col. Nina Armagno, commander of the Air Force’s 30th Space Wing, said in a statement.

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More News On The Upcoming Return Of The X-37B

Secret Air Force Spaceplane Coming Back To Earth In June -- Red Orbit
Vandenberg AFB prepares for return of US military space plane after more than a year in orbit -- Washington Post/AP
Vandenberg AFB readies for X-37B landing -- Flight Global
US's secret space plane to return to Earth in a month -- Herald Sun
Air Force's mini space shuttle prepares for landing -- Space Flight Now
Air Force's Secretive X-37B Space Plane Will Land Soon -- Space.com
X-37B Spaceplane Finishes Its Secret Mission, Prepares to Return to Earth -- Geek System
U.S. Air Force Space Plane Landing Targeted for June -- Space News
U.S. military space plane coming home next month -- Examiner

How Many X-37Bs Are There?

Just How Many X-37Bs Are There? -- Defense Tech

So Air Force Space Command boss Gen. William Shelton gave us a tiny bit more insight into the service’s super secret space spycraft, the X-37B, when he said that it’s doing its super secret — and year-long — mission excellently and that there’s no need for a bigger version of it or to increase the size of the X-37B fleet.

What was really interesting about his comments, was the fact that he wouldn’t say just how big the fleet is. Keep in mind that the service has said that it’s got two of the mini-shuttles for a while now, but Shelton’s response to a question about the size of the fleet raised more questions than it answered.

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Update: Air Force Will Continue to Launch Mysterious X-37B Space Plane (Updated) -- National Defense

My Comment: There are only two, but if the Air Force had the budget .... hmmmm .....

The Air Force 'Baby Space Shuttle,' Secret And Reusable

From ABC News:

The Air Force’s “baby space shuttle” is ready for launch Thursday night from a launch pad at Cape Canaveral. The X-37B looks like a smaller version of the shuttle, and will be America’s second re-usable spacecraft, except it’ll be run by the military and be piloted by remote control. The 29 foot-long craft is designed to stay in orbit as long as 270 days (9 months) and it carries a secret payload of experiments.

"Secret" is the operative word. The Air Force isn’t saying how long it will be in orbit beyond saying that it won’t be a quick up-and-down test. It won’t describe what experiments will be aboard. They’re also touchy about media descriptions that it’s going to usher in the weaponization of space.

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Behind The Air Force's Secret Robotic Space Plane

Behind The Air Force's Secret Robotic Space Plane -- Popular Mechanics

Move over NASA. The U.S. Air Force has spent decades on the concept: an unmanned space plane that can be used to spy, reposition satellites, possibly even bomb targets, then return to base. A successful launch next week could turn that vision into a reality.

When the engines of a 19-story Atlas V ignite in April at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the liftoff will look like any other for the workhorse launch vehicle. After about 4 minutes, the engines will cut off and the rocket's first stage will fall away, freeing the second stage to boost the upper section of the rocket into low Earth orbit.

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My Comment: A lot of eyes are now focused on this program .... from NASA to foreign powers. After many years and mega-billions spent .... they better succeed.

Mum's the Word for NASA's Secret Space Plane X-37B

Artist concept of the X-37 advanced technology flight demonstrator
re-entering Earth's atmosphere. NASA

From FOX News:

You would think that an unpiloted space plane built to rocket spaceward from Florida atop an Atlas booster, circle the planet for an extended time, then land on autopilot on a California runway would be big news. But for the U.S. Air Force X-37B project — seemingly, mum's the word.

There is an air of vagueness regarding next year's Atlas Evolved Expendable launch of the unpiloted, reusable military space plane. The X-37B will be cocooned within the Atlas rocket's launch shroud — a ride that's far from cheap.

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