Boeing X-37B Returns From 469 Days In Space

MegaZone — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 05:14:27 +0000

The Boeing-built X37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-2) returned from 469 days in orbit on June 16, 2012. What is was doing, no one really knows. Originally a NASA project the DoD took over the X-37 in 2004, and now it is the US Air Force’s own private secret space plane. This is the second flight of the X-37; OTV-1 spent 224 days in orbit in 2010. OTV-2 launched back on March 5, 2011.

The X-37B rides an Atlas V to orbit but returns like the Space Shuttle, gliding to a horizontal landing. The key difference, of course, is that the X-37B is unmanned. It had been previously stated that the X-37B was designed to remain in orbit for “up to 270 days”, so this latest mission indicates that either the design has been revised, or that those statements were deliberately understating the capabilities of the system. Either is plausible, given the classified nature of the program under the USAF. Boeing floated the possibility of a larger, astronaut-carrying X-37C last year, but not much is known.

A Brief Video History Of The U.S. Air Force

MegaZone — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:07:35 +0000

I’m not sure what the occasion is, but Lockheed Martin released this six minute video which is basically a quick overview of the history of the U.S. Air Force. I still find the technique of adding motion to old photos kind of jarring, it reminds me of the cheap ‘motion comics’ I’ve seen, but the video is a decent, if brief, look at the history.

Gizmo Lovers Blog » USAF

Boeing X-37B Returns From 469 Days In Space

A Brief Video History Of The U.S. Air Force