X-37B spaceplane 'spying on China'

X-37B spaceplane 'spying on China'

www.bbc.co.uk

America's classified X-37B spaceplane is probably spying on China...

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.

There is wide speculation that the X-37B is eavesdropping on the laboratory.

"Space-to-space surveillance is a whole new ball game...

Washington retains a deep distrust of Beijing's space ambitions...

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.abovetopsecret.com

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Tracking the X-37B (US Air Force secret shuttle)

Optical tracking specialists in the US and Europe have noticed how the orbit of the X-37B matches that of China's spacelab, Tiangogng-1, fuelling speculation that it is focussed on intercepting the telemetry of the chinese spacecraft. Officially the US craft is simply testing unspecified new technologies...


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/ru4f05e851.jpg[/atsimg]


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/ft4f05e899.gif[/atsimg]


The whole saga seems to be the epitomy of a 'black project':

• Origins: Started as a Nasa project in 1999 before being handed to the military in 2006

• Flight history: First vehicle launched in April, 2010, and landed eight months later

• Cost: The budget line for the X-37B programme continues to be classified information

Perhaps we are getting nearer the truth as to what such projects imply — a new Cold War that will suck untold hundreds of billions of dollars into the militarization of space.

How long before China is held up as Public Enemy №1? Fear-mongering and problem-reaction-solution to follow...





www.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

• Cost: The budget line for the X-37B program continues to be classified information.


In other words, it's expensive as hell..


U

reply to post by pause4thought


china should take measures to invent something to shoot it down then

reply to post by TheMindWar


That's war-mongering if ever I heard it. (You seem to live up to your screen name.)

Whatever happened to diplomacy?..

reply to post by pause4thought


This aircraft could probably travel around the world in less than 3 hours! Pretty insane. It's Lockheed that manufactured it right?

reply to post by pause4thought


Why use diplomacy? I'm not agreeing to the statement. But why should such actions be forgiven ? If any other country in the world would do this to the US it would be an act of WAR.

reply to post by Unvarnished


I found this on NASA's website from May 2003:

Capable of being ferried into orbit on an expendable launch vehicle, the X-37 will operate at speeds up to 25 times the speed of sound (Mach 25) and test technologies in the harsh environments of space and atmospheric reentry.

As part of the X-37 project, the Boeing Company's Phantom Works division of Huntington Beach, Calif., is developing two vehicles: the X-37 Approach and Landing Test Vehicle and the X-37 Orbital Vehicle...

Source article

Interesting to note the justification for the project back then:

These autonomous space planes, which have no crew, will play a key role in NASA's effort to dramatically reduce the cost of sending humans and payloads into space...

It's all a money-saving exercise!

Originally posted by Cyanhide
reply to post by pause4thought

 

Why use diplomacy? I'm not agreeing to the statement. But why should such actions be forgiven ? If any other country in the world would do this to the US it would be an act of WAR.

Sorry, I don't think I was clear enough. What I meant was why does the US appear to put ever greater emphasis on military solutions rather than engaging in substantive diplomatic discussions over perceived threats to its interests? No-one can deny China is investing very heavily in its military and seeking to expand its sphere of influence. But this type of intensive spying operation could easily be perceived as provocative, as you suggest, leading to an ever greater deterioration in relations.

You could argue its good for the economy and it keeps 'the hawks' happy. But is this what the American people want to see — war-mongering as a response to the expansion of a new super-power?

Originally posted by pause4thought
Optical tracking specialists in the US and Europe have noticed how the orbit of the X-37B matches that of China's spacelab, Tiangogng-1,

So let me get this straight... a project started back in 2003 and with the current version launched March 2011 has the miraculous foresight (maybe NASA employs psychics) to match an orbit of a chinese satellite not launched until months later in September.

Maybe the story should be the other way around.
China launches a satellite that matches the orbit of an American satellite that had already been up there for 6 months.

In any case, a few minutes checking shows the whole story to be bogus.

Tiangong 1
Eccentricity: 0.0008051
Inclination: 42.7875°
Perigee height: 357 km
Apogee height: 368 km

X-37B
Eccentricity: 0.0009780
Inclination: 42.4533°
Perigee height: 329 km
Apogee height: 342 km

Apart from an approximate agreement in orbital inclination, the two can hardly be described as "nearly identical".

Just passed Hawaii right now... track it yourself Official designation is OTV 2 (USA 226)

www.n2yo.com...

Ya know that thing has been up there a long time

reply to post by alfa1


Maybe but X37B can change orbits at will though I doubt it is spying on China's platform. We have better satellites for that

reply to post by pause4thought


When you say it like that, then I couldn't agree more

I have photos of the FA-37A and it's not a spacecraft but a low orbit space plane used by and tested by the Navy to be deployed off aircraft carriers. It has been around for 7 years in testing and deployed about 18 months ago. Here is a photo I obtained from the Pentagon a few years ago.


[img]https://picasaweb.google.com/115156283931878443307/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCKLZvZHC7oqU1gE&gsessionid=IBLV-crTkH2NPASr4AnGXw#5694234443463758082[/i mg]

Originally posted by tailchaser7
I have photos of the FA-37A and it's not a spacecraft but a low orbit space plane used by and tested by the Navy to be deployed off aircraft carriers. It has been around for 7 years in testing and deployed about 18 months ago. Here is a photo I obtained from the Pentagon a few years ago.

Nice picture

reply to post by pause4thought


SO in other words we are tracking their ISS, and not spying on it. If its something amateurs can pick up, dont we think China knows about it as well?

Originally posted by Cyanhide
reply to post by pause4thought

 

Why use diplomacy? I'm not agreeing to the statement. But why should such actions be forgiven ? If any other country in the world would do this to the US it would be an act of WAR.

Arrant nonsense - Soviet "trawlers" spied on US Navy communications for decades on the open seas, and Space is no different - it is "open" in that anyone who can get there is allowed there.

And everyone spies on everyone else's communications as much as possible al the time - the Chinese recently got "caught" spying on India for example, with a ship in the Indian ocean.

Get over it!

Originally posted by zorgon

Originally posted by tailchaser7
I have photos of the FA-37A and it's not a spacecraft but a low orbit space plane used by and tested by the Navy to be deployed off aircraft carriers. It has been around for 7 years in testing and deployed about 18 months ago. Here is a photo I obtained from the Pentagon a few years ago.

Nice picture

Yeah - Stealth was a good movie, and the F/A-37 Talon looks cool.

I'm not sure if the OP was serious or not thinking that plane is real tho - you never know around here!

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


The OP has made no reference to that fictional plane whatsoever.

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


I thought the poster was trying to pass the pic off as real too

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul

Spying is responsible for 90% of the non black budget Well maybe not exactly but it seems like it. I have tracked 120 spook agencies in operation in the USA alone... IAO, DHS, NSA, FBI, CIA, DIA, NGA and NRO( both Space Spooks) ONI, DNI, ODNI, ONCIX, AFISR, INSCOM, etc..

Just how many SPOOKS do we need on the payroll?



Mostly spy satellites



Click image for full size

There are so many spy satellites out there its no wonder the Aliens have stopped visiting us... they can't get through