OTV 2 (X-37B) = Atlas V 501 - 5.03.11 22:46 UTC - Canaveral SLC-41

[Брабонт]

Саш, есть такая вещь, как ресурсные испытания. Предположим, разработчикам необходимо показать, что аппаратура потенциального заказчика - например, телескоп для видовой разведки - проработает не 270 суток, а полтора-два года, после чего будет возвращена на Землю для ремонта и модернизации.

[Александр Репной]

Саш, есть такая вещь, как ресурсные испытания. Предположим, разработчикам необходимо показать, что аппаратура потенциального заказчика - например, телескоп для видовой разведки - проработает не 270 суток, а полтора-два года, после чего будет возвращена на Землю для ремонта и модернизации.

Понятно. Тоже самое можно сказать и про HST, даже без учета доставки обратно на Землю?

[Брабонт]

Нет, про HST нельзя, поскольку там ничего не испытывается.

[instml]

U.S. Air Force space plane marks one year in orbit

The U.S. Air Force's second X-37B space plane marked one year in orbit Monday, continuing its clandestine mission more than 200 miles above Earth.
 
The robotic spacecraft's purpose is secret, but Air Force officials acknowledge the vehicle is performing well one year after it blasted off on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket on March 5, 2011.

"We are very pleased with the results of the on-going X-37B experiments," said Lt. Col. Tom McIntyre, X-37B program director in the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office. "The X-37B program is setting the standard for a reusable space plane and, on this one-year orbital milestone, has returned great value on the experimental investment."

The X-37B space plane, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, features an unpressurized cargo bay about the size of the bed of a pickup truck. The Air Force has not disclosed its contents, only saying the mission is experimenting with the spacecraft, which is flying on its second mission.

The solar-powered vehicle is designed to return cargo intact inside its payload bay.

Another space plane orbited Earth for 224 days in 2010 before gliding to an unpowered landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

A third flight, reusing the first vehicle, is in the Air Force's plans.

"Upon completion of all objectives we look forward to bringing the mission to a safe, successful conclusion," McIntyre said in a statement. "The next program phase, the third X-37B mission, has been tentatively planned for the fall of 2012."

The landing date has not been set, according to Maj. Tracy Bunko, an Air Force spokesperson at the Pentagon.

"The mission is still on track and the vehicle is performing well," Bunko said. "As stated before, we are extending the mission as circumstances allow in order to get maximum value out of the mission. We don't know when we'll land, but we regularly evaluate that based on test objectives."


File photo of the launch of the second X-37B mission on March 5, 2011. Credit: Pat Corkery/United Launch Alliance
 
The Air Force decided to continue the space plane's mission beyond its 270-day design life, which ran out in late November. Before its launch in March, officials hinted the second X-37B flight would test the spacecraft's design, pushing it farther than engineers did the first space plane.

But other than demonstrating the craft's ability to loiter in space and return to Earth, the mission's other objectives remain shrouded in secrecy.

The space plane could ferry into orbit materials science payloads, experimental reconnaissance sensors, innovative communications instruments, or a variety of other potential cargo.

The X-37B stretches 29 feet long and has a wing span of 14 feet. It can weigh up to 11,000 pounds fueled for launch, according to an Air Force fact sheet.

Built by Boeing Co., the X-37 space plane started off as a NASA project. The Defense Department took over in 2004, and responsibility for the X-37 ended up with the Air Force in late 2006. Boeing built two space-worthy X-37 vehicles.

Once its mission is over, the X-37B will fire a powerful engine to fall from orbit. After weathering the brutal heat of re-entry, the stubby-winged spacecraft will automatically approach a 15,000-foot runway at Vandenberg with the help of GPS navigation, line up with the landing strip, deploy a landing gear and touch down at more than 200 mph.

Independent satellite trackers say the space plane is circling Earth between 205 miles and 212 miles high, with an orbital inclination of about 42.8 degrees.

"Its ground track repeats almost exactly every 31 revolutions, which takes just under two days," said Ted Molczan, a respected amateur satellite observer based in Canada.

Molczan and other satellite tracking hobbyists compare notes online to keep tabs on spacecraft in orbit.

"Ground tracks that repeat every two to four days are a common feature of U.S. imagery intelligence satellites, but that is insufficient information to confidently assess the mission of OTV 2-1."

The X-37B's orbit tracks above the part of Earth between 42.8 degrees north and 42.8 degrees south latitude.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1203/05x37b/

[саша]

Ну вот, с таким ресурсом они смогут иметь хотя-бы одну "птичку" на орбите постоянно, если захотят.

[Имxотеп]

если не врут последние тле, сабж резко спикировал, с 330х340 км до 273х299 км.
походу пошел на посадку  

[Lanista]

Трансляция будет, как в прошлый раз?

[Брабонт]

если не врут последние тле, сабж резко спикировал

Cо сменой наклонения и повторяемости. Скорее, пошла факультативная программа.

[Александр Репной]

PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY FOR X-37B LANDING
http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123304066

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av026/preland/

Air Force's mini space shuttle prepares for landing[/size]
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: May 30, 2012

After 15 months circling the planet on its clandestine military mission, the Pentagon's miniature space shuttle will be coming back to Earth for a pinpoint touchdown at Vandenberg Air Force Base in the next couple of weeks.
 
The base, located about 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, announced Wednesday that preparations are underway to receive the second reusable spaceplane in the "the early- to mid-June timeframe."

The exact landing date and time "will depend on technical and weather considerations," the base said in a statement to reporters.

The Orbital Test Vehicle will use Vandenberg's three-mile-long concrete runway once envisioned to support manned space shuttle landings from polar-orbiting military flights.

"The men and women of Team Vandenberg are ready to execute safe landing operations anytime and at a moment's notice," said Col. Nina Armagno, 30th Space Wing commander.

Operating on a sophisticated autopilot and GPS navigation, the OTV will fire its propulsion system to brake from orbit and plunge through the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean towards the Air Force installation for a tire-smoking touchdown.

"Space professionals from the 30th Space Wing will monitor the de-orbit and landing of the Air Force's X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle mission, called OTV 2," Vandenberg's statement said.

The base said its crews have conducted extensive, periodic training in preparation for landing.
 
Launched atop an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral on March 5, 2011, the winged craft has been operating in low-Earth-orbit carrying out a mission of unknown purpose. The military considers the payload classified.

Its pickup truck-size payload bay could be filled with experimental equipment being exposed to the harsh environment of space for proof testing or the cargo hold could contain operational instruments for reconnaissance.

"Although I can't talk about mission specifics, suffice it to say this mission has been a spectacular success," General William L. Shelton, commander of Air Force Space Command, said in a recent speech.

Built by Boeing's Phantom Works division, the spaceplane is 29 feet long with a wing span of 14 feet. It can weigh up to 11,000 pounds fueled for launch. The in-space design life is 270 days, but good performance on this mission enabled ground controllers to keep it aloft significantly longer.

Hobbyist satellite trackers have kept close tabs on the vehicle since its launch, monitoring it in an initial 206-mile (331 km) orbit inclined 42.8 degrees to the equator. Last summer, the orbit was raised slightly to 209 miles (337 km).

"It maintained this altitude against the effects of drag through frequent small orbit maneuvers," said Ted Molczan, a respected hobbyist tracker.

Earlier this month, however, the craft began lowering its altitude, briefly slipping out of the observers' sight until being discovered in the new orbit of 182 miles (293 km) tilted 41.9 degrees relative to the equator.

The new orbit causes its ground track to repeat, almost precisely, every three days; the previous altitude repeated every two days. Molczan said satellites with ground tracks repeating at intervals of two, three or four days have long been favored for U.S. imagery intelligence satellites, potentially offering a clue to the craft's mission.

This is the second of the Orbital Test Vehicles to fly in the X-37B program, following the maiden mission in 2010 that spent 224 days in space, frequently maneuvering in what was considered to be a shakedown cruise to demonstrate the spaceplane's capabilities.

The original vehicle has been refurbished for shipment to Cape Canaveral and a return to space. Another United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will haul the craft to orbit in a liftoff targeted for October.[/size]

[Patron]

Аккумуляторные батареи на X-37 поставила Yardney Lithion. Они используются, в том числе, и для электромеханических приводов аэродинамических органов управления. Назначенный срок службы АБ около 15-16 месяцев...

[АниКей]

Jun 12, 2012 8:05pm
Air Force's Mysterious Mini-Space Shuttle Set to Land[/size]
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/06/air-forces-mysterious-mini-space-shuttle-set-to-land/
After more than a year in orbit the  Air Force's mysterious mini-space shuttle is set to land at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California sometime this week. Air Force officials say a landing could come as early as Wednesday.

Measuring 29 feet in length and having a 15-foot wingspan, the unmanned re-usable X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle looks like a miniature version of  NASA's now retired space shuttles.

The reusable spacecraft went into orbit on March 5, 2011, but as was the case during its first launch in 2010, very little has been known about its mission or what payloads it might be carrying because its missions are classified.  That has led to speculation that the spacecraft is involved in intelligence gathering operations or the testing of new technologies.....

[АниКей]

Secret X-37B Mini Space Shuttle Could Land Today[/size]

by Nancy Atkinson on June 13, 2012
...
Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/95810/secret-x-37b-mini-space-shuttle-could-land-today/#ixzz1xgmp2xEu

[АниКей]

...Air Force officials say landing day for the unmanned X-37B space plane is imminent, and could occur on Friday (June 15). But weather conditions at its intended landing site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, as well as other factors, will determine when the spacecraft's will ultimately land...

http://www.space.com/16136-air-force-x37b-space-plane-landing-imminent.html

[АниКей]

A robotic Air Force space plane that has spent more than a year in orbit on a mystery mission is slated to come back down to Earth this weekend, perhaps by Saturday, Air Force officials say.

The Air Force is aiming to land its secret X-37B space plane, which has spent 15 months in space, on Saturday at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. But that timeline is dependent on the weather and other considerations, officials said.

"We continue to monitor weather and technical conditions day by day to ensure conditions are safe for landing," Vandenberg spokesman Jeremy Eggers told Space.com via email. "At this time, the next available opportunity is Saturday, dependent upon weather and technical conditions. The landing window extends through June 18."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47813934/ns/technology_and_science-space/#.T9t2h7XmvQQ

[Александр Репной]

Capping a 15-month clandestine military mission circling the planet, the Pentagon's miniature spaceplane, one quarter the size of NASA's now-retired space shuttle, returned to Earth just after dawn Saturday for a pinpoint touchdown at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The Orbital Test Vehicle received the ground-issued command to come home, initiating a fully autonomous sequence of firing its propulsion system to brake from orbit, plunging through the atmosphere for a super-hot reentry over the Pacific Ocean, executing a series of turns to dissipate speed towards Vandenberg, then dropping its gear with dinner plate-sized wheels for a tire-smoking touchdown at 5:48 a.m. local (8:48 a.m. EDT; 1248 GMT) while flying on a sophisticated autopilot fed with GPS navigation.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av026/landing/

[bavv]

Космический беспилотник, облетевший Землю 7 тыс раз, приземлился в США[/size]

19:03 16/06/2012
МОСКВА, 16 июн - РИА Новости. Экспериментальный беспилотный космический аппарат, который по конструкции напоминает американский шаттл в миниатюре, в субботу благополучно приземлился на космодроме военной базы "Ванденбер" в американском штате Калифорния, сообщает интернет-издание Spaceflight Now.

Беспилотник X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle 2 (OTV-2) был запущен с мыса Канаверал в штате Флорида 5 марта 2011 года при помощи ракеты-носителя Atlas 5. За это время аппарат провел на околоземной орбите 468 дней и 13 часов, облетев вокруг Земли более семи тысяч раз.

Первый X-37B (OTV-1) был запущен в космос весной 2010 года и вернулся на землю в декабре после 270-дневного пребывания на орбите.

"Как и с OTV-1, приземлившийся аппарат будет изучен и пройдет ремонт. Выводы, полученные от этого полета будут учтены при подготовке к следующей миссии", - сказала пресс-секретарь ВВС США Трэйси Бунко.

По данным агентства Ассошиэйтед Пресс, беспилотник будет служить платформой для испытаний спутниковых сенсоров и систем. Согласно официальным сообщениям, при работе со вторым аппаратом X-37B будет учитываться опыт предыдущей миссии. Другие подробности запуска аппарата, а также детали миссии засекречены, передает агентство.

X-37B был построен специалистами Boeing Phantom Works. Известно, что на разработку аппарата были потрачены миллионы долларов, однако полная стоимость официально названа не была. Программа X-37B сначала возглавлялась НАСА, однако потом перешла под руководство подразделения Пентагона по исследованиям и разработкам, а затем к секретному подразделению ВВС США.

[АниКей]

...Отметим, что сообщение о посадке секретного аппарата на сайте ВВС США проиллюстрировано старой фотографией Х-37В, хотя и сказано, что кадр снят 16 июня 2012 года....

http://www.newsru.com/world/16jun2012/x37.html

[Liss]

Хмм... "Шэньчжоу-9" стартовал в 10:37, и немедленно, в 12:48, X-37B приземлился. Вывод? Страшно стало :-)

[andybe29]

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