(Image, credit ULA)
SPACE NEWS: - You remember the spaceplane the U.S. Air Force X-37B (the mini-shuttle U.S. military) and its first mission in which the first prototype of the spacecraft OTV-1 (Orbital Test Vehicle 1) has been seven months in orbit and then land themselves lo scorso Dicembre alla Vandenberg Air Force Base
Sabato scorso (5 Marzo 2011) è partito il secondo prototipo di X-37B, OTV-2 (Orbital Test Vehicle 2), sempre dallo Space Launch Complex-41 della Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Il razzo vettore Atlas V 501 della ULA (United Launch Alliance) con a bordo OTV-2 è decollato alle ore 23:46 (ita) dopo un ritardo di un giorno causato dalle cattive condizioni del tempo.
X-37B è uno spazioplano senza equipaggio, uno shuttle in miniatura ma senza equipaggio, in grado di effettuare lunghe permanenze in orbita. Qui sotto trovate un po’ di information
This second mission is classified, are not known experiments that will be made. But even if these goals are secret information according to some Air Force general objective of the program is to develop a reliable and reusable spacecraft that will increase the U.S. space assets.
With the upcoming retirement of the Space Shuttle, the X-37B is currently the only American spacecraft to be able to return to low earth orbit experiments and do not rule out future use "civilian-scientific" X-37.
"We look forward to test the improvements we've introduced in the landing profile. The X-37B is truly a remarkable scientific achievement and aerospace industries" are the words of Lt. Col. Troy Giese, Program Manager of ' X-37B for the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (who heads the Department of Defense program OTV).
Here's the video of the launch
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