X-37B lands after 719 days

The X-37B mission OTV4 landed at Kennedy Space Center early Sunday morning. Unlike other missions the Air Force didn't announce the landing. This is the first time either of the craft have landed in Florida. Previous missions have landed at Vandenberg. The mission launched on May 20, 2015, and landed at approximately 8am.

Boeing recently consolidated operations at the Orbiter Processing Facility 1 and 2 hangars in Florida, which i is where they launch from. This will allow them to launch and recover at the same location.

www.orlandosentinel.com...

www.floridatoday.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

I was wondering when this would touch down.

Most likely will see a few "UFO" videos emerge as a result.
Pretty significant orbit rotation of 719 days.

The X37B is a secret military unmanned mini-space shuttle, which as been orbiting the Earth for nearly two years on its fourth flight.

What did it 'shuttle' back from orbit?

I wonder...

Apparently a sonic boom as well over FL

Orbital chemtrails.

a reply to: Zaphod58

So what really gives with this craft? Two years in orbit is a very long test flight. I'm not one to accept the official pronouncements about what was, or is, its stated purpose. The secrecy around it and its long flight is a bit too much for me to simply put it down as a repair truck for satellites. Maybe a supply truck for reloading weapons platforms that we don't know about?

I wonder if it was testing that em microwave drive.

A very long time to be in orbit with just chemical propulsion.

a reply to: iWontGiveUP

That's how they knew it was back. The Air Force didn't say anything this time, unlike the other three.

a reply to: grey580

This mission mounted ion thrusters for their first space flight on one of the craft.

originally posted by: grey580
I wonder if it was testing that em microwave drive.

A very long time to be in orbit with just chemical propulsion.

Once in orbit I thought it doesn't need any propulsion? Except tiny amounts for minor adjustments here and there?

a reply to: iTruthSeeker

They do a lot of orbital changes, and even small adjustments take up a lot of fuel on a 2 year mission. Previous missions of the X-37 have lost them for several days because they changed to a different orbit.

On the picture of the article there is just the rocket engine at the back of the x-37b no mystery propulsion system.

a reply to: darksidius

It's not a mystery propulsion system. You can't use ion thrusters to get into orbit so they have to keep the rocket for the initial launch. The ion thrusters replaced some of the OMS engines.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Hey zaph. Without going into detail. You think it was doing mostly the same things it was doing on its previous missions. Or is it up to something totally brand new from prior launches.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

A little of both. They were doing some of the same, and doing the equivalent of a long soak of the ion thrusters, and something new.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: BASSPLYR

A little of both. They were doing some of the same, and doing the equivalent of a long soak of the ion thrusters, and something new.

Why the environmental suits for the runway crew? I'd guess that it was for unspent rocket fuel [UDMH+N2O4 and such] rather than the xenon for the ion thrusters although a spill of liquid xenon could suffocate those nearby. It looks like they had a drain line of some sort on the ship.

Interesting! I was just going to write a post asking what the hell happened to the X-37s- fascinating craft, but haven't heard a word about them for years. I remember seeing some pictures of refueling/maintenance, and the entire ground crew that was near the aircraft were wearing full biohazard suits with self-contained air supply, so there was definitely something incredibly toxic with the cargo, or simply some of the materials of its construction.



Zaphod, I was actually going to ask you specifically if you had any info, or even a guess, as to what would lead them to take such precautions. So what do you think?

ETA: Very good question! Beat me by a couple minutes lol. Thanks for the info Z.

a reply to: pteridine

a reply to: M4nWithNoN4me

They use hydrazine for the APU and the non-ion OMS engines, in addition to any remaining fuel for the main engine.

I am guessing if they were testing engines like EM drive that they would be in the payload section of the craft and be extended out once in orbit. Engines don't have to be on the back of the craft or even outside the craft until in orbit and in use.

The Hall thruster experiment is a partnership between the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), and Rapid Capabilities Office (CRO) and is based on the thrusters used on the first three AEHF satellites.

Once in operation, the experiment will use telemetry to record thruster performance and the thrust it puts on the spacecraft. The Air Force says that the results will be used to improve thruster and environmental models, and to better extrapolate ground test results to actual on-orbit performance.

"Space is so vitally important to everything we do," says Major General Tom Masiello, AFRL commander. "Secure comms, ISR, missile warning, weather prediction, precision navigation and timing all rely on it, and the domain is increasingly contested. A more efficient on-orbit thruster capability is huge. Less fuel burn lowers the cost to get up there, plus it enhances spacecraft operational flexibility, survivability and longevity."

newatlas.com...

The new generation AEHF satellites use Hall thrusters. The X-37 was testing an improved version for follow on AEHF satellites to make them more efficient and possibly smaller and lighter.