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[KSweeley]

Link: http://mashable.com/2017/05/07/air-...utm_sid=5356feeef9c510f432deea19#mBrLiaAzyaqs

A secretive space plane returned to Earth on Sunday with a sonic boom.

The U.S. Air Force's unmanned, reusable vehicle landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center after spending a record 718 days in space. Powerful shock waves rippled throughout Central Florida as the mini-space shuttle returned from its mission.

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) is the military's newest and most advanced re-entry spacecraft. It's part of a broader U.S. strategy to develop out-of-this-world technologies that can be used for multiple launches and landings.

This Earth-circling mission is the program's fourth since April 2010, giving it the moniker OTV-4.

"Today marks an incredibly exciting day for the 45th Space Wing as we continue to break barriers,” Brigadier General Wayne Monteith, who commands the space wing, said in a statement.

Most X-37B payloads and vehicles are considered classified, so it's not completely clear what the Air Force is doing with these space planes.

But the Air Force says it has two main objectives: Conduct operating experiments that can be returned to and further studied on Earth, and test reusable spacecraft technologies to support "America's future in space."

 

[PatThePassive]

The space war is coming!

When did the USAF start a "space wing"?

I thought a couple Military branches have their own space type part for satellites and stuff.

 

[KSweeley]

When did the USAF start a "space wing"?

 

[kmfdmpig]

I've read some speculation that they may fly an orbit that allows them to gather intelligence on other countries' satellites. It's hard to tell if that's reliable, however, as other experts strongly disagreed that the orbit would work well for that.

In any event, it seems like an impressive program that has had longer and longer durations with each flight.

 

[perfectchaos007]

The space war is coming!



I thought a couple Military branches have their own space type part for satellites and stuff.

IB Trump declares war on Mars.

 

[Weckum]

Pic of this lovechild of the space shuttle and Reaper drone:

 

[Busty]

45th Space Wing

In reality I imagine that members of this Air Force division look more like the cast of Silicon Valley.

 

[Flying Toaster]

When did the USAF start a "space wing"?

Technically the defense department has been funding this shit since the space shuttle program. Gotta get those satellites up there. It is a bigger concern now because Nasa is not shooting defense department stuff into space anymore actually they don't shoot up anything really anymore so now these tests are a lot more prominent.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Pic of this lovechild of the space shuttle and Reaper drone:

Not much of a looker....

 

[Weckum]

Technically the defense department has been funding this shit since the space shuttle program. Gotta get those satellites up there. It is a bigger concern now because Nasa is not shooting defense department stuff into space anymore actually they don't shoot up anything really anymore so now these tests are a lot more prominent.

SpaceX launched an NRO satellite last week.

 

[Lord Frieza]

Guile!?

 

[Mully]

Hhmm. I thought its previous test was its only test. Interesting.

 

[What did he mean by this?]

"Who did you say was President?! Send me back up"

 

[Steel]

Pic of this lovechild of the space shuttle and Reaper drone:

Looks more like a rocket than a plane.

 

[OG Shaka Zulu]

Pic of this lovechild of the space shuttle and Reaper drone:

LOL. Looks like an overfed bumble bee.

 

[Flying Toaster]

SpaceX launched an NSO satellite last week.

The Defense department and the Military have not been keen on 3rd party usage of moving shit into space.

Better than China and Russia yes. But they would rather do it in house if possible.

 

[Meus Renaissance]

The real classified stuff is 30-40 years ahead of this, and isn't in front of the world's cameras.

 

[Ray Wonder]

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

The real classified stuff is 30-40 years ahead of this, and isn't in front of the world's cameras.

Yes, the classified warp drives that military uses to ferry people to play golf on the moon.

 

[Deleted member 20415]

As a kid, I moved to Florida, and experienced the sonic boom first hand... knocked me the fuck out of bed, and confused the hell out of me.

I hope this thing found aliens.

 

[Flying Toaster]

That must be a picture of the first test... there are no longer icebergs large enough to land on.

 

[John Kowalski]

The real classified stuff is 30-40 years ahead of this, and isn't in front of the world's cameras.

I imagine most of it is just not very useful stuff too. Like, they probably know how to transform apples into dogs, but that's probably not very useful unless you're, uh... selling dog trees or something.

 

[Jenov]

neat

 

[afternoon delight]

Yes, the classified warp drives that military uses to ferry people to play golf on the moon.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

When did the USAF start a "space wing"?

The special ops G.I. Joe Division had a "space wing" way back in 1987.

 

[TheMan]

Pic of this lovechild of the space shuttle and Reaper drone:

Yikes, I was picturing something that looked like the jackal from COD, not a Twinkie dick with wings

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

It's a spacecraft you jerkasses. Let's see how you good you look after screaming back into the atmosphere at 30 kilometers per second.

Seriously though it just has to be aerodynamic on the way up and down where it's going very fast, so that's a good shape, and in the long in-between it can look like whatever it wants to.

 

[PatThePassive]

The real classified stuff is 30-40 years ahead of this, and isn't in front of the world's cameras.

If they have had those mouth things you put on to breath underwater from the movies for 30-40 years we need to form a militia and get these jerks out of power.

 

[Kinyou]

Apparently it's carried up to space within a rocket so it's really a lot like the space shuttle

 

[curls]

When did the USAF start a "space wing"?

The USAF has a whole separate space program since the 80's at least. It's like another NASA in terms of capability.

The two domains of focus are space and cyberspace. It is actually a joint venture with the NRO, NSA and USAF.

 

[Cimarron]

When did the USAF start a "space wing"?

Since forever? The Air Force has more assets and space related programs than any branch.

 

[Thursday War]

LOL

 

[Team Filler]

When did the USAF start a "space wing"?

After Dr. Jackson unlocked the 7th chevron and opened the gate to Abydos, thus making the Goa'uld aware of our advances since they were last purged from Earth.

 

[Parmadillo Marshmallow]

I'm super surprised that I haven't heard anything about nations shooting each other's satellites down. Is that a thing that is done? If not, why not? And if so, why isn't it in the news?

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

Apparently it's carried up to space within a rocket so it's really a lot like the space shuttle

Space Plane my ass. It's a space glider at best. All those hours spent making proper space planes in Kerbal and in real life we use the stick it on a rocket cheat. I'm disappointed.

 

[HStallion]

So does the Navy or Air Force have authority when it comes to anything that comes to space?

 

[ClosingADoor]

I'm super surprised that I haven't heard anything about nations shooting each other's satellites down. Is that a thing that is done? If not, why not? And if so, why isn't it in the news?

We don't shoot other nations satellites down because that would be basically the same as shooting one of their ships or whatever (minus the casualties). Would create an international incident.

Now, hacking stuff to make them malfunction, I'm sure every major country does that shit.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Yikes, I was picturing something that looked like the jackal from COD, not a Twinkie dick with wings

Honestly the first time I saw "X-37" I was expecting something amazing looking.

 

[Imperfected]

I'm super surprised that I haven't heard anything about nations shooting each other's satellites down. Is that a thing that is done? If not, why not? And if so, why isn't it in the news?

It's not done because it would be an immediate act of war and presumed to presage an all-out nuclear assault.

The countries with satellites in orbit are mostly if not entirely the countries with nukes in the silos. The countries that would casually shoot down a satellite are the ones without space capabilities, and unlikely to develop them since it sort of goes hand-in-hand with ICBM development, which we tend to actively discourage. (See: North Korea.)

 

[curls]

I'm super surprised that I haven't heard anything about nations shooting each other's satellites down. Is that a thing that is done? If not, why not? And if so, why isn't it in the news?

It would result in a whole load of orbital debris which can be very damaging to other craft. If it did happen the groups doing it would most likely be rogue. They likely spend a lot of recources on orbital tracking technologies.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Pic of this lovechild of the space shuttle and Reaper drone:

That's a lot of duct tape.

 

[Graphics Horse]

Since forever? The Air Force has more assets and space related programs than any branch.

For example:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-20_Dyna-Soar

Guess it was an eventual goal since the 40s.

 

[radios shipping overview]

neat

What are they wearing that gear to protect against? Fuel explosion? Black oil? The Andromeda Strain?

 

[Dirca]

I'm super surprised that I haven't heard anything about nations shooting each other's satellites down. Is that a thing that is done? If not, why not? And if so, why isn't it in the news?

Because A LOT of things don't need to be or shouldn't be public knowledge

 

[TacticalHotdog]

What are they wearing that gear to protect against? Fuel explosion? Black oil? The Andromeda Strain?

Possibly radiation. It's speculated that this aircraft is being used to test a bunch of new sensors by exposing them to the elements of space.

 

[MattKeil]

I'm super surprised that I haven't heard anything about nations shooting each other's satellites down. Is that a thing that is done? If not, why not? And if so, why isn't it in the news?

It's not done for the reasons others have already posted, but rest assured that this is the next phase of full blown warfare and is what will push military action into space sooner than most people think. Electronic surveillance is the lynchpin of modern military intelligence, especially for the U.S., and anyone even considering doing real harm to us is going to have to knock out our satellites first. It is very much vital to our interests to be able to quickly and effectively defend our satellite network.

 

[WhereAreMahDragonz]

When did the USAF start a "space wing"?

It's always had a space wing.

 

[delirium]

What are they wearing that gear to protect against? Fuel explosion? Black oil? The Andromeda Strain?

Hydrazine is used as a propellant. It's highly toxic and dangerous.

 

[Dirca]

Possibly radiation. It's speculated that this aircraft is being used to test a bunch of new sensors by exposing them to the elements of space.

The hydrazine answer above is more accurate than what I previously said. It's due to de-gassing

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

neat

Looks like it's making a Thomas the Tank Engine face.