Second X-37B Launch tomorrow (Friday 03/3)

Conor108

Not that we'll get to watch or follow it or anything:cool:

From PopSci.com
Three months after its first mission ended, the military is launching another X-37B space plane on Friday, in a second classified mission for the X-37B program. If the weather holds up, the second X-37B orbiter will launch Friday afternoon on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, according to launch manager United Launch Alliance.

Air Force officials said the plane’s first flight last year was a success, and they wasted little time in organizing the second trip, which involves a different orbiter.

Linky!!

clln

Launch due at 20.50 GMT.Live streaming already in progress at link below.
http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av026/status.html

weather is problem but still green for GO.
here is the Atlas 5/centaur launch vechicle on pad.

http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Multimedia_Webcast.shtml

clln

weather down to a 20% chance of GO.

clln

well any launch attempt scrubbed until Saturday.
24 hour turnaround ordered but only 30% chance of GO given for weather.

there were two 10 minute launch windows today 20.45-20-55 and 22.22-22.27.final polls were all GO except weather on both occasions.
times above should give a rough guide to tomorrows attempt(s)



Look at these old farts,how exciting they make it all seem,not exactly like mission control room on a Shuttle launch day.....now is it?:(

clln

the Atlas 5/Centaur combination rocket got off the ground Saturday night with its payload of X-37B.
lots of speculation around the internet space forums about this machine but very few hard facts.

Stongest rumour is that Orbital Vehicle 3 whenever it launchs will be fully re-usable.
other rumour is that much of the equipment that was onboard OV1 is back on OV2,not to save money but to test its durability over long exposure to the harshness of space.

the USAF make it all sound so benign,but i have visions of lots of these little divils orbiting our planet up to no good in the future.
worth noting that amateur satellite trackers 'Lost' OV 1 for two weeks,heads still being scratched about that.

too soon to say if it is functioning properly as coverage was stopped 18 minutes into the flight when the one engine Centaur section of the combo shut down,the nose cone had also seperated
but looks like it is 1-0 for the 'masters of war' ie OV2 sucess,GLORY's peaceful mission nil.
always the way!

USAF statement;

"This program provides a test capability that was difficult to achieve through other means, the ability to examine how highly complex technologies will perform in space before they are made operational," said Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space Programs Richard McKinney. "But right now our focus is on the X-37B itself, and this second flight is important to our further understanding of its capabilities."

clln

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chL1d9vWaWM

Sponge Bob

I am loath to call the serial attempts the Chinese make to replicate US and Russian space comms and navigational systems 'space exploration' as such.

Serial Space Annoyance would be more like it. It seems to work both ways.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16423881

The unpiloted vehicle was launched into orbit by the US Air Force in March last year and has yet to return to Earth.

The Pentagon has steadfastly refused to discuss its mission but amateur space trackers have noted how its path around the globe is nearly identical to China's spacelab, Tiangong-1.

and

"Space-to-space surveillance is a whole new ball game made possible by a finessed group of sensors and sensor suites, which we think the X-37B may be using to maintain a close watch on China's nascent space station," said Spaceflight editor Dr David Baker

If this is true the most intruiging aspect of the flight is that it spent a year and a half waiting for the Chinese to launch their Space Station

The spacelab, which China expects to man with astronauts in 2012, was launched in September with an inclination of 42.78 degrees, and to a very similar altitude as the OTV.

Rucking_Fetard

This yoke landed yesterday after 22 months up there.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/10/the-us-wont-say-what-its-secret-space-drone-did-for-two-years/381418/