Since we do not, for a fact, know if USAF intends to continue to orbit for the full 270 days, or, possibly having achieved all their test objectives, they may have decided to recover the vehicle. Everyone has assumed they will land it at Vandenberg AFB, but if they really want to maintain secrecy for some reason...say to disguise the crossrange capability, for example...they might determine to land elsewhere. I believe Johnston Island has an airfield, and there is probably one out in the Kwajeline Atoll complex. And, of course, there is Area 51's airfield. Of course, this is all wild conjecture on my part. Fascinating!
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trailrider":20a83mhr said:
Noe of that type of screwing around has been seen, maybe they are trying to quantify the observers abilities, though I would have expected them to have given up on that by now.
You can't hide something in plain sight and if they are using amateur observations to define their abilities they are wasting their time. I'm sure the Russians and Chinese know exactly where the X-37B is.
Well, according to the Air Force, the X-37 is still in orbit and "continuing its mission." So we'll just have to wait and see... Are the amateur trackers able to determine the amount of plane change, and or altitudes?
spaceweather.com : SPACE PLANE FOUND:
http://www.heavens-above.com : X-37B - Orbit Data (adjust for your timezone)
http://www.heavens-above.com : X-37B - Orbit Data (adjust for your timezone)
That was what, less than 96 hours after the orbital change!!!! :mrgreen:
I knew the X-37B would be 'recovered' very, very soon.
That's a large reduction in altitude too. Wonder if the USAF are preping her for a deorbit & landing. Or as Wayne says, the USAF are 'playing games' with the Astronomical Community????
My prediction before the weekend was correct!!!!!!
Andrew Brown.
I knew the X-37B would be 'recovered' very, very soon.
That's a large reduction in altitude too. Wonder if the USAF are preping her for a deorbit & landing. Or as Wayne says, the USAF are 'playing games' with the Astronomical Community????
My prediction before the weekend was correct!!!!!!
Andrew Brown.
OK! Orbit inclination is shown as approx. 40 deg. Did they change the inclination any in the latest maneuver? With that inclination, and the proper cameras, they could observe a fair amount of real estate, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, a good bit of China and Southern Russia. NOT saying they ARE observing anything, just that they could. This bird is probably more about systems tests, etc. As far as the lowered orbit is concerned, yes it could mean they are getting ready to recover it. But where? The Cape, Vandyland, Area 51? All are in reach.
trailrider":6wkjmp8i said:
They could be testing the imaging capabilities, since it's orbit does include most of the areas of interest to the defense dept. Could the 40 miles of altitude make a difference in photo quality, or perhaps some other space to ground device that is being tested ? Maybe laser targeting on Afghanistan mountain tops ?
I vote for a return to either Vandy.
bdewoody":u1ojumog said:
Heavans-Above has orbital elements as of Nov 10...I have visible passes coming up Thanksgiving weekend; I'll let you know if I see it
Will the Air Force tell us when they plan to land it beforehand or wait until it's safely down?
bdewoody":15i9r12s said:
Yeah, but the black helicopters will be orbiting over the houses of whoever finds out! :roll: Seriously, it will probably depend on where they land it. Someplace where it's pretty hard to hide, such as Vandy or maybe Edwards, or KSC, they probably won't try to hide the actual landing. If they bring it down at...uh, ahem...G---m L-k-, and you happen to snap a picture, you might find yourself up against a fence with an M-4 where TSA is now checking air travelers! :shock:
Guess we'll just have to wait and read about it in Aviation Leak!
trailrider":3bicuxjo said:
I've been reading Aviation Week since the 60's, at the library or subscribed, now my father-in-law gets it and I get it when he's done with it. They sometimes over-do the military hype, and always have, but for everything else they have the best reporting of anything I've read. It is obvious the reporter, or at least the editor has a pretty through knowledge of the subject to begin with in most cases. Not that I haven't seen a lot of trivial mistakes but if I had to trust one source, in those areas it is pretty good.
I hold them to a higher standard then the instant blatherers.
Just my opinion, but considering who's flying this bird i wouldnt expect a notice.
After it's on the ground we'll hear all about how the mission fullfilled all it's test objectives.
After it's on the ground we'll hear all about how the mission fullfilled all it's test objectives.
SDC : Secretive Air Force Robotic Space Plane May Be Nearing Mission's End
...By Leonard David
SPACE.com’s Space Insider Columnist
posted: 22 November 2010
02:45 pm ET
A U.S. Air Force robotic space plane continues to maneuver in Earth orbit, according to the latest observations from skywatchers. The reusable space drone has been carrying out tasks using a suite of classified sensors and may be nearing its mission's end, according to comments from Air Force officials.
The spacecraft is the Air Force's X-37B space plane, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle 1, which launched on its maiden flight on April 22 atop an Atlas 5 rocket.
The winged orbiter's mission has been shrouded in secrecy, but Air Force officials have said it was built for 270-day spaceflights, suggesting that it may be in the flight homestretch and preparing to make an atmospheric re-entry and landing – all on autopilot. [ Video of the X-37B in space ]
Official details regarding the space plane's whereabouts, its classified payload and projected landing date are scarce — more mum than informative.
"Nothing new," said U.S. Air Force Major, Tracy Bunko, a spokeswoman for the mission at the Pentagon's Air Force press desk.
"The first flight of the X-37B/OTV-1 is ongoing and continues to focus on checking out the on-orbit performance of the vehicle and proving the technologies required for long-duration, re-usable space vehicles with autonomous re-entry and landing capabilities," Bunko told SPACE.com.
Bunko said that after the X-37B test objectives are satisfied, "we look forward to a successful re-entry and recovery at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California."
No landing date has been scheduled, she added.
Latest press release has it landing sometime this weekend, probably at Vandy. Anybody live in the Lompoc area that can stay up and watch for it?
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