It's About Liberty: A Conservative Forum
Topics => Science, Technology, & Medicine => Topic started by: rickl on March 05, 2011, 08:35:43 AM
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The Air Force's X-37B (http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=16639), a sort of unmanned mini-shuttle, is scheduled to launch today at 4:09 pm EST. Yesterday's attempt was scrubbed due to bad weather. Unfortunately, the forecast doesn't look any better for today. If they don't go this afternoon, they will probably scrub until Monday.
This will be the X-37B's second flight. It was launched last April and spent several months in orbit, culminating in an automated runway landing. Its missions are classified, but the launches are not. The United Launch Alliance (http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Launch.shtml#/14/) website has a live video webcast that will begin 20 minutes before launch time. (Scroll down for the link.)
There will also be liveblogging at NASASpaceflight.com (http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=24323.135). I watched yesterday's attempt. I've only been reading that site for a little over two months and I've already seen four or five launches live! I wouldn't have even known about most of them beforehand otherwise.
(http://www.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/web/100330-O-1234S-001.jpg)
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Man, how cool would it be to be the geek that gets to operate the joystick on THAT RC?
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The latest word is that the launch time has been pushed back to 5:46 pm EST due to some repair work. That's near the end of the launch window, so there isn't much more room for delays today. The countdown is proceeding, though.
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=24323.150 (http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=24323.150)
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Here's a graphic about the X-37B from Space.com. Note the size comparison to the Shuttle.
(http://www.space.com/images/i/424/i02/X37b-spaceplane-100416-02.jpg?1289928301) (http://www.space.com/75-x-37b-spaceplane.html)
Source Space.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration (http://www.space.com)
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They're about to come out of the hold at T-4:00. Looks good!
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Flash_Webcast.shtml (http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Flash_Webcast.shtml)
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A successful launch, and the second stage is currently burning.
Interesting that the live video cut off just before payload fairing separation. Hmm... Well, it is a classified mission.
(http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=24323.0;attach=277458;image)
(http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=24323.0;attach=277496;image)
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The launch video:
Atlas V 501 X-37B OTV2 launch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpBDk2vB1LQ#)
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Idunno about anybody else, but that rocket didn't seem to have a very green carbon footprint, and I really fail to see how that launch reaches out to Muslims in any way.
(That was really cool to see)
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Pretty cool.
I remember a couple times back when I was stationed at Mirimar where some Atlas Centaur boosters were being off-loaded for ground transport to the nearby SAC AFB. I remember wondering what it would be like to see one of those shoot off. Then I realized the thing was going into a nuclear tipped missile and thought I don't want to see the thing go off after all!
But in this case, it's a friendly launch so I guess now I know what it looks like!
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Atlas, it's almost as old as the B-52.
::oldman::
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Atlas, it's almost as old as the B-52.
::oldman::
Atlas has had a long and illustrious history, beginning in the 1950s. It was designed to be America's first ICBM in the arms race with the Soviet Union. It was retired from that role in 1965, having been superseded by more advanced Titan II and Minuteman missiles. Even before then, though, it was pressed into service as a space launch vehicle. It launched America's first astronauts in Project Mercury, as well as a variety of satellites and space probes using Agena and Centaur upper stages. Among its famous firsts were Mariner 2, the first flyby of Venus; Mariner 4, the first flyby of Mars; and Pioneer 10 and 11, the first flybys of Jupiter and Saturn and the first man-made objects to leave the solar system. It was steadily upgraded, enlarged, and improved over the years, and became known for its reliability.
The Atlas V, however, is an entirely new rocket that has nothing in common with the earlier versions. It first flew in 2002 and is available in a variety of configurations for different missions. Ironically, it uses a Russian-designed first stage engine.
Atlas family (http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/atlas.htm)
Atlas V (http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/atlasv.htm)
(http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/rickl_2006/Web/atlas-family.jpg)
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Thanks
...von Braun's Saturn S-IV stage, using six of the RL-10 motors, leapfrogged the Centaur program . By the time of the first operational Centaur mission in May 1966, the S-IV had already completed its test series of six orbital flights. Yet thirty years later, the Saturn was long gone,...
They couldn't build the Saturn Rocket today if they wanted to.
They've lost the plans.
ETA: the guys that knew how to build it............are dead
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According to Wikipedia, it's an urban legend:
A popular urban myth has the blueprints for the Saturn V either lost or purposely destroyed. The blueprints and other plans still exist on microfilm at the Marshall Space Flight Center
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(https://img.purch.com/h/1400/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5saXZlc2NpZW5jZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzEwNi8zNzIvb3JpZ2luYWwveC0zN2Itc3BhY2UtcGxhbmUtdmFuZGViZXJnaC1OTy1SRVVTRS5qcGc=)
https://www.livescience.com/65884-x-37b-space-plane-skywatcher-photo.html (https://www.livescience.com/65884-x-37b-space-plane-skywatcher-photo.html)
The program is still alive and kickin'.
Need more of these...
We'll know things are in full swing when the recruitment ads for joining Space Force roll out.
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780 days later...
https://www.kget.com/national-news/air-forces-mystery-space-plane-lands-ends-2-year-mission/ (https://www.kget.com/national-news/air-forces-mystery-space-plane-lands-ends-2-year-mission/)
...so, what did it do/learn? ::whatgives::
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...so, what did it do/learn? ::whatgives::
They won't tell us until it's too late. ::foilhathelicopter::
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...so, what did it do/learn? ::whatgives::
They won't tell us until it's too late. ::foilhathelicopter::
Two possible responses -
1) Moron - "I'm sure they mean well."
2) Everybody else - ::cussing::