Air Force Launches Secretive Space Plane; ‘We Don’t Know When It’s Coming Back’

[kpete]

Air Force Launches Secretive Space Plane; ‘We Don’t Know When It’s Coming Back’


Atlas AV-012 OTV LaunchThe Air Force launched a secretive space plane into orbit last night from Cape Canaveral, Florida. And they’re not sure when it’s returning to Earth.

Perched atop an Atlas V rocket, the Air Force’s unmanned and reusable X-37B made its first flight after a decade in development shrouded in mystery; most of the mission goals remain unknown to the public.

The Air Force has fended off statements calling the X-37B a space weapon, or a space-based drone to be used for spying or delivering weapons from orbit. In a conference call with reporters, deputy undersecretary for the Air Force for space programs Gary Payton, space programs did acknowledge much of the current mission is classified. But perhaps the most intriguing answer came when he was asked by a reporter wanting to cover the landing as to when the X-37B would be making its way back to the planet.

“In all honesty, we don’t know when it’s coming back for sure,” Payton said.

Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/04/air-force-launches-first-reusable-unmanned-space-vehicle/#ixzz0lvty3q21

[YOY]

1. Yay! More weapons!!! MORE MORE MORE!!!

Do the freepers feel safer yet???

[Robb]

2. Photo released of flight crew:

[Javaman]

3. Major Tom? nt

[MilesColtrane]

4. What an odd thing to say.

Unless they are testing fully independent control by an A.I., I can only conclude that he is lying his ass off.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

5. not really...

they may not have a planned return until they check operation of certain features and then may decide to run additional tests ... so, an open ended mission like this is not too odd. heck, even the space shuttle, while having a predefined return date, gets that push up or back sometime.

sP

[Robb]

6. I'll go one further:

I'll bet nobody told him when they plan to return. :D

All kidding aside, this platform concerns me. I look at these kinds of things and try to imagine what need they can fill for the USAF. I don't see any holes in our airborne/orbital surveillance system, SIGINT or otherwise, so I really, really doubt this is meant as a spy deal.

That really only leaves a weapons system, frankly.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. Wonder why you are so confident there are no holes

[Robb]

8. Keyhole

...or whatever they're calling it now.

Plus I figure if we were resolving golf balls at 80k feet 50 years ago, we can probably see whatever we need to from space.