Uno shuttle militare?

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Missione OTV-4 ... mancano pochi giorni al record ...

The U.S. Air Force's X-37B space plane is just eight days away from setting a record on its current clandestine mission.

If the robotic vehicle stays aloft until March 25, it will break the X-37B mission-duration mark of 674 days, which was established back in October 2014.

Fonte: SPACE.com ... Air Force's Mysterious X-37B Space Plane Nears Orbital Record ...

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XS-1 ... il vincitore è ... Phantom Express di Boeing ...

AFA ... DARPA Picks Boeing for XS-1 Spaceplane Project ...

DARPA ... DARPA Picks Design for Next-Generation Spaceplane ...

Boeing ... Boeing, DARPA to Design, Build, Test New Experimental Spaceplane ...

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Nel frattempo ... la missione OTV-4 si era felicemente conclusa il 9 Maggio scorso ...

 

The Air Force’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle landed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Sunday after nearly two years in low-earth orbit.

The mission, which launched on May 21, 2015, was the fourth completed flight for the OTV program.

Each successive mission has been longer in duration than the last - the first was 224 days, the second was 468, and the third was 675.

OTV-4 remained in orbit for 718 days, during which time it flew at altitudes ranging between 190 and 225 miles, reported Space Flight Now.

Fonte: AFA ... X-37B Lands at Kennedy Space Center After Two Years in Orbit ...

 

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Colpo di scena ... il 'mini-shuttle' militare cambia cavallo ...

The X-37B is heading back to space later this year, and this time the space plane will launch for the first time ever by a SpaceX Falcon 9, the Air Force announced late Tuesday.

The fifth mission of the X-37B, sometimes referred to as the orbital test vehicle, involves carrying the Advanced Structurally Embedded Thermal Spreader (ASETS-11) created by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the service stated in a news release.

Fonte: DefenseNews ... X-37B space plane to get lift from SpaceX ...

Reuters ... SpaceX wins launch of U.S. Air Force X-37B space plane ...

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Pronto ad una nuova, misteriosa missione ... sul nuovo vettore ...

The U.S. Air Force’s secretive X-37B space plane will make its debut launch on the SpaceX Falcon 9 on Sept. 7, the Air Force’s top civilian said Thursday.

“If the weather is good,” the Boeing-built X-37B will launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, announced U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, who declined to comment on the nature of the mission the space plane will perform.

“It’s one of our experimental platforms,” she said during an exclusive interview with Defense News and Air Force Times on Aug. 31.

Fonte: DefenseNews ... U.S. Air Force announces date for X-37B launch ...

USAF ... Air Force preparing to launch fifth Orbital Test Vehicle mission ...

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La nuova missione è ormai in corso da quasi otto mesi ...

 

https://www.space.com/40227-x-37b-space-plane-200-days-in-orbit-otv5.html

 

... e, dall'Olanda, giunge notizia che c'è anche chi riesce ad osservare la super-segreta navetta ...

A skywatcher in the Netherlands was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to see the U.S. Air Force's supersecret X-37B space plane on April 11, or that's the likeliest identity of the bright moving spot in the sky anyway.

The launch itself wasn't a secret: The robotic craft, made by Boeing, took off on its fifth mission on Sept. 7, 2017, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida ...

Cees Bassa didn't know at first that he'd spotted the spy craft, which looks like a mini space shuttle when seen up close.

But he was intrigued enough to estimate that the object's circular orbit was inclined by about 54.5 degrees and had an altitude of 220 miles (355 kilometers) above Earth. With those estimates, he realized the flying object could be the fifth mission of the X-37B, also called the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-5 for the fifth mission) ...

Fonte: livescience.com ... How a Guy in the Netherlands Spotted the Top Secret X-37B Space Plane ...

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Si fanno progressi col motore del 'Phantom Express' di Boeing ...

 

http://www.rocket.com/article/first-engine-assembled-darpa-and-boeing-reusable-experimental-spaceplane

 

La pagina che Boeing dedica al programma ...

 

https://www.boeing.com/space/phantom-express/index.page

 

 

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E' appena uscito un aggiornamento sulla missione OTV-5 ... 

... space.com ... US Military Space Plane Wings Past 500 Days on Latest Mystery Mission ...

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Beccato !

Quote

Noted astronomer and satellite expert Ralf Vandebergh of Nijswiller, Limburg, Netherlands, spent months searching the skies for one of the Holy Grails of sky spotting, the secretive U.S. Air Force Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. 
In May of this year, he finally succeeded.
Remarkably, on June 30 and July 2 of this year that Vandebergh finally captured some rare photos of the secret military spacecraft. 
Fifty-year veteran space journalist and author of the new book, “Moon Rush: The New Space Race”, Leonard David broke the story about Vandebergh’s sighting and photos on Saturday, July 6, 2019 on LiveScience.com (*). 
The photos are now being republished and shared around the world.

... theaviationist.com ... New Photos Surface of Secretive X-37B Space Plane in Orbit on Classified Mission ...

(*) ... https://www.livescience.com/65884-x-37b-space-plane-skywatcher-photo.html ...

Modificato 14 Luglio 2019 da TT-1 Pinto
***

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C'era una volta ... lo X-20 'Dyna Soar' ... quel precursore che non volò mai ... 

... afmc.af.mil ... https://www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1925643/history-in-two-dyna-soar/ ...

 

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Intanto ... lo X-37B ha battuto un altro record ... il tutto, va da sé, nel massimo segreto ... 

Quote

The U.S. Air Force's X-37B space plane just broke its spaceflight-duration record.
At 6:43 a.m. EDT (1043 GMT) today (Aug. 26), the robotic X-37B sailed past the program mark of 717 days, 20 hours and 42 minutes, which was set by the previous mission, known as Orbital Test Vehicle 4 (OTV-4).
The current mission, OTV-5, began on Sept. 7, 2017, with a liftoff atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. 
It's unclear what the space plane is doing up there now, or what it has done on past flights; X-37B missions are classified, and the Air Force therefore tends to speak of the vehicle and its activities in general terms.

... space.com ... X-37B Military Space Plane Breaks Record on Latest Mystery Mission ... 

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741 days and counting ...

 

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E' ritornato ... dopo 780 giorni ...

...af.mil ... https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1999734/x-37b-breaks-record-lands-after-780-days-in-orbit/ ... 

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Un commento ... nel quale si fa cenno dei possibili sviluppi futuri del veicolo spaziale ... 

... airforcemag.com ... X-37B Space Plane Returns as USAF Collects Data for Possible Replacement ...

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X-37B ... imminente la prossima missione ...

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The X-37B spaceplane will embark on its sixth mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on May 16, Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett said.
The secretive, unmanned orbital test vehicle, which will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, is notching new milestones as it matures. 
Its fifth mission was its longest to date, ending Oct. 27, 2019 after 780 days on orbit. 
Now, it will take a new approach to bringing experiments to space.
“This sixth mission is a big step for the X-37B program,” said Randy Walden, who runs the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. 
“This will be the first X-37B mission to use a service module to host experiments. The incorporation of a service module on this mission enables us to continue to expand the capabilities of the spacecraft and host more experiments than any of the previous missions.”

... airforcemag.com ... Shadowy X-37B Spaceplane Heading Back to Orbit ...

Anche qui ... c4isrnet.com ... Here are a few of the experiments hitching a ride on the Air Force’s secret space plane ...

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X-37B ... lanciato !!!

https://twitter.com/Boeing/status/1262076717549715456

 

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Il prestigioso "Collier Trophy" per il 2019 è stato assegnato al team USAF-Boeing responsabile del veicolo spaziale X-37B ...

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The U.S. Department of the Air Force and Boeing X-37B autonomous spaceplane is receiving the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy for the greatest American achievements in aeronautics and astronautics of 2019. 
The X-37B set a new 780-day on-orbit endurance record and completed an overflight of the United States, using Federal Aviation Administration airspace, before making a pinpoint landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
The National Aeronautic Association is awarding the 2019 Collier to the X-37B for advancing the performance, efficiency and safety of air and space vehicles.

... boeing.mediaroom.com ... US Department of the Air Force-Boeing X-37B Team Wins Collier Trophy for Aerospace Excellence ...

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X-37B ... uno sguardo al suo interno ...

... thedrive.com/the-war-zone ... This Is Our First Look At The Secretive X-37B Spaceplane With Its Cargo Bay Doors Open ...

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X-37B ... tutti i precedenti record sono stati battuti ... ma il segreto continua ...

Cita

A Space Force X-37B reusable space plane surpassed 780 days in space July 7, eclipsing its prior endurance record.
The Space Force’s Space Delta 9 operates the uncrewed, Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, which belongs to the 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron. Space Force officials did not immediately respond to queries.
The Space Force has never disclosed how many X-37B Orbital Test Vehicles it owns and does not publicize the classified program’s mission itineraries.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/x-37b-space-plane-eclipses-its-record-for-longest-flight/ ...

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Nel frattempo ... poco più di un anno fa ...

... airandspaceforces.com ... https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-forces-x-37b-lands-900-days-in-orbit/ ...

Fra pochi giorni ...

Cita

 

Il prossimo – e settimo – lancio dell’X-37B potrebbe anche essere l’ultimo ...

La Space Force rimetterà in orbita il suo X-37B questo fine settimana.
Ma nessuno dice quando tornerà.
Un razzo "Falcon Heavy" di SpaceX dovrebbe decollare il 10 Dicembre prossimo dal Kennedy Space Center, Florida, portando nello spazio l'X-37B per la settima volta, ma sarà il primo volo a bordo del più potente "Falcon Heavy".
Lo Space Systems Command ha rivelato, in un comunicato, che il lancio, che fa parte del programma "National Security Space Launch" (NSSL), comporterà test per "operare in nuovi regimi orbitali".

 

... airandspaceforces.com ... https://www.airandspaceforces.com/x-37b-seventh-launch/ ...

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Il Generale Saltzman ... “Probabilmente non è una coincidenza” l’X-37 e l’aereo spaziale Cinese verranno lanciati uno vicino all’altro ...

Cita

Numerosi ritardi e lanci interrotti hanno impedito all’X-37B della Space Force di tornare in orbita questa settimana.
Ma, dopo aver suggerito diversi anni fa che l’aereo spaziale segreto potrebbe essere in procinto di partire, il Capo delle Operazioni Spaziali, Generale B. Chance Saltzman, ha indicato che il suo futuro è più luminoso che mai grazie alla concorrenza del Pentagono con la Cina.
In effetti, Saltzman ha detto ai giornalisti alla "Spacepower Conference" della "Space Force Association" che “probabilmente non è una coincidenza” che l’aereo spaziale Cinese possa essere lanciato più o meno nello stesso periodo dell’X-37B.

... airandspaceforces.com ... https://www.airandspaceforces.com/x-37-launch-delayed-saltzman-future/ ...

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Lo spazioplano militare statunitense è partito per un'altra missione segreta ... forse l'ultima ...

Cita

Lo spazioplano militare statunitense X-37B è decollato Giovedì per un’altra missione segreta che dovrebbe durare almeno un paio d’anni.
Come nelle missioni precedenti, il velivolo riutilizzabile, simile ad una mini navetta spaziale, trasporta esperimenti classificati.
A bordo non c'è nessuno.
Il decollo è avvenuto di notte, dal Kennedy Space Center della NASA, a bordo di un vettore "Falcon Heavy" di SpaceX, con più di due settimane di ritardo a causa di problemi tecnici.

... airforcetimes.com ... https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2023/12/29/us-military-space-plane-blasts-off-on-another-secretive-mission/ ...

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Ma ci sono anche i Cinesi …

Cita

Il veicolo di prova orbitale X-37B della Space Force è tornato in orbita il 28 Dicembre, a bordo di un razzo “Falcon Heavy” di “SpaceX” dal Kennedy Space Center, Fla, dopo numerosi lanci cancellati.
Il lancio del misterioso aereo spaziale riutilizzabile è avvenuto due settimane dopo che la Cina aveva lanciato il suo altrettanto misterioso veicolo spaziale, “Shenlong”, il 14 Dicembre.
Inizialmente, la Space Force aveva pianificato di lanciare l'X-37 prima di “Shenlong”, il 7 Dicembre, ma quella data è stata posticipata più volte a causa di problemi a terra, condizioni meteorologiche e disponibilità delle piattaforme.

... airandspaceforces.com ... https://www.airandspaceforces.com/x-37-chinese-space-plane-launch/ ...

  

 

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La United States Space Force (USSF) utilizzerà l'aerobraking …

... theaviationist.com ... https://theaviationist.com/2024/10/10/aerobraking-to-change-x-37b-orbit/ ...