Hi there, just posting some info on the X-37B space plane, thought i would just post the external text so it was easier for anyone following the X-37B's status, to be honest allot of us here on ATS no where not hearing the truth about NASA and millitary space operations so this does rais some suspicion, here's the external info:

X-37B: The X-37B space plane, a secretive shuttle-like vehicle currently orbiting the earth at 17,000 miles per hour, will be staying in space longer than originally planned, the Associated Press reports.

The 29-foot solar-powered craft had an original mission of 270 days and, according to RedOrbit, the X-37B should have landed on Wednesday at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

PHOTOS BELOW

"We initially planned for a nine-month mission, which we are roughly at now, but we will continue to extend the mission as circumstances allow," Lt. Col Tom McIntyre, the vehicle's systems program director, told the Los Angeles Times. "Keeping the X-37 in orbit will provide us with additional experimentation opportunities and allow us to extract the maximum value out of the mission."

The Air Force has said that the objective of the X-37B is to test unmanned, reusable space technology and conduct orbital experiments, but many skeptics think that the vehicle's mission is somehow defense or spy-related.

In May of 2010, The New York Times reported that amateur astronomers were able to detect the orbital pattern of the first X-37B, heightening suspicion that the vehicle was being used for surveillance. According to that report, the X37-B's orbital path included flyovers of areas such as North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

According to X-37B manufacturer Boeing, the space plane operates in low-earth orbit, between 110 and 500 miles above Earth. By comparison, the International Space Station orbits at about 220 miles above Earth.

The current X-37B flight launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla. in March of 2011. The first X-37B mission landed successfully in December 2010 after seven months in orbit.

you know I all-ways wondered about the true mission of this lo-tech X-37B space plane un-manned and flying around does it have weapons on-board? how much did it cost to make? what is the distance that it can traverse? and where is the really cool flying space submarines (Naval Space Command) look it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by Tahnya86
...heightening suspicion that the vehicle was being used for surveillance. According to that report, the X37-B's orbital path included flyovers of areas such as North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

What that fails to mention is that EVERY satellite up there in LEO also passes over North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
It might very well be a spy mission, but the reason given is dumb.

It makes sense but only 1??? UP THERE no other space agency craft up there, hmm. You would think the COSMIC surveillance is up more these days. So maybe its on patrol, of what well you know must use IMAGINATIONS interesting

"nine-month mission"
That is Not a test flight.
that is a space weapons platform.
and it needs to stay for the war with?
Iran? china? russia?

I bet that thing has nuclear powered Laser.
that can take out missiles.
or make ammo dumps explodes!
I would bet it has nuc weapons to.

This is awesome tech its like a Satilite that can land for repairs be reequipped and sent back up. This sounds like a new form of satilite to me allot less expensive cause its reusable, More space friendly cause when there done with a mission it doesn't become space junk they just land it and reuse it. I think this is an awesome platform. The american space programs are defo evolving imo.

Originally posted by buddha
"nine-month mission"
That is Not a test flight.
that is a space weapons platform.
and it needs to stay for the war with?
Iran? china? russia?

I bet that thing has nuclear powered Laser.
that can take out missiles.
or make ammo dumps explodes!
I would bet it has nuc weapons to.

The payload bay is the size of a pick up truck bed.
So I doubt it has nuke lasers or any weapons at all.

The craft is too small to carry weapons, it's cargo bay is the size of a pick-up truck's bay, and it has to stash it's solar arrays there too. Only one X-37B is in space at a time, the other one was in orbit for nine months also, it landed a year ago. Only one but you know there are many satellites doing surveillance, its what they do. Some of the speculation in this thread isn't very well thought through.