Air Force to launch X-37 space plane: Precursor to war in orbit?

The Air Force is to launch the first test flight of the X-37 pilotless space plane Wednesday. It's meant to stay aloft for months, but its mission is secret, leading some to worry about its purpose.


Washington

Clear, sunny skies are forecast for Cape Canaveral Wednesday, perfect weather for the launch of a new unmanned spacecraft and the dawn of an era. Just don’t expect the Air Force to tell you what that new era is.

For the first time, the service will launch the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, a brand new, unmanned spacecraft to demonstrate the military’s ability to fly into space, circle the globe for months on end, and return intact, only to fly again.

But whether the X-37 space plane is merely showing off nearly two decades of research and development or is actually a precursor to militarizing the final frontier, is far from clear since the vehicle’s payload is classified. An Air Force official won’t even say when it will return to California or where it will land. But it can “loiter” over the globe for more than nine months.

“In all honesty, we don’t know when it’s coming back,” said Gary Payton, deputy undersecretary for the Air Force’s space programs, in a conference call with reporters Tuesday.
'Weaponization' of space?

Arms control advocates say it is pretty clearly the beginning of a “weaponization of space” – precursor to a precision global strike capability that would allow the US to hover for months at a time over anywhere it chose with little anyone could do about it.

“The idea of being able to launch an unmanned research platform that can stay up there for months on end provides you with all kinds of capability, both military and civilian,” says Chris Hellman, a policy analyst with the National Priorities Project, a budget watchdog in Northampton, Mass.
...

SOURCE

Mod Note: Starting A New Thread – Please Review This Link
Quoting External Sources - Please Review This Link

[edit on Thu Apr 22 2010 by Jbird]

smells dodgy to me i'll keep my eyes on this one for sure. thanx for posting.

I heard they were gonna do this.

Ok, now what is the purpose of having
a US warbird in outer space???

Target practice on the nearest star???

Like there is really somebody or something
out there that is gonna hurt us.
Don't see a reason for this

UNLESS

they are lying about Roswell in 47

God here goes the US again trying to be world police and make sure they control everything. ¿I thought space was supposed to be a military free zone? - of course that rule doesn't apply for the United States.

reply to post by boondock-saint


I think any weapons would be aimed at the Earth. They could be "placed" anywhere within minutes. Google "rods from god" for some eye opening possibilities for war in the not so distant future.

STH

Im surprised this isn't getting more eye's. This is very huge.
We are moving into un-manned space fronts. This means that Nasa and the Airforce doesn't need to have personal witnesses of issues that need to be kept quite. This is scary man.

Maybe the X-37 is being sent out to catch and retrieve that mystery object that was detected last year in Earth orbit. The one that the astronomers cant (or wont) identify. It's due to pass Earth again in about another 16 days. Here is the thread about that thing:

"Mystery Object Discovered in Earths Orbit"
www.abovetopsecret.com...

If this is successful the next thing you'll see will be space interceptors. Then you will see a space docking station that will have 20 or so shuttles on board, loaded at all times, ready to swoop down and bomb any target on earth. Fly back up and reload. This will replace the aircraft carrier's eventually. This my friends is the pre-cursor to a whole new age of advanced weaponry.

They use to say who ever control's the air control's the battlefield. Now the mantra will be "whomever control's space, control's the globe".

The OP launch date was wrong. The X-37B is due to launch tonight.

"Liftoff is set for Thursday night between 7:52 p.m. and 8:01 p.m. EDT (2352-0001 GMT) from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida."

Source:
www.space.com...

There is already a thread on the X-37 here

It launched.

"X-37B – lifted off at 7:52 p.m. EDT (2352 GMT)"

source:
www.space.com...

Please direct your comments to this ongoing Thread.

Thanks.

-Closed