A Year Later, Mysterious Space Plane Is Still in Orbit

[Robb]

The Air Force’s secretive X-37B space plane gets more mysterious by the day. Designed to spend up to nine months on unspecified errands in Earth’s orbit, the second copy of the Boeing-made craft, known as Orbital Test Vehicle 2, has now been in space for a year and two days — and is still going strong. The endurance milestone is unqualified good news for America’s space force at a time when its funding and future missions are in doubt.

There’s just one thing. We still don’t know exactly what the 30-foot-long X-37B is doing up there.

Since the launch of Orbital Test Vehicle 1 in April 2010, the Air Force has insisted that the X-37 program is a purely scientific endeavor. But analysts say the spacefaring craft, which launches into orbit atop a rocket but glides back to Earth like an airplane, is capable of much more than that. It could be an orbital spy — in essence, a more maneuverable satellite. Or it could be used to tamper with enemy satellites.....

Read More: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/03/spaceplane-year/

[Lint Head]

1. Isn't it sending invisible beams that melt the tin foil hats?

Or it's using mind control signals to get Obama elected?

[sharp_stick]

2. It takes a while

to find the perfect spots for all those FEMA camps that we plan to set up after abolishing religion during Comrade Obamas second term. - because without the smilie some doofus would take me seriously.

[Scuba]

3. Funny, I don't feel one bit safer knowing it's up there. Can we have Medicare for All now?

[Myrina]

4. ... is that Cheney's lastest "undisclosed location" ?

Kinda like crazy billionaire Haddon in Contact?

[snooper2]

5. Back in the old days the people from the dungeon would start showing up

[leveymg]

6. That is a long time for a chimp to go without a walk.

What, you think there's no one in there at the controls?