Updates X-37B atop of Atlas 5 on March 4th 2011

[RGClark]

There are thermal IR camera videos of the landing in the internet, for example on youtube.

Thanks for that. On this one you can see the tiles on the underside are pretty hot too:

Bob Clark

 

[C3PO]

Thanks for that. On this one you can see the tiles on the underside are pretty hot too:

The video shows the nose and bottom tiles in a darker shade of yellow compared to the tires.

IR photography doesn't show surface temperature, only infrared radiation. Different materials have different radiation properties, so even with everything at ambient temperatures IR photos show subtle details. The angle of the viewed surface also makes a difference.

Considering that the tiles are designed to radiate heat, it's fair to assume that they would stand out more than other materials with the same temperature.

 

[RGClark]

The video shows the nose and bottom tiles in a darker shade of yellow compared to the tires.

IR photography doesn't show surface temperature, only infrared radiation. Different materials have different radiation properties, so even with everything at ambient temperatures IR photos show subtle details. The angle of the viewed surface also makes a difference.
Considering that the tiles are designed to radiate heat, it's fair to assume that they would stand out more than other materials with the same temperature.

I was referring in that post to the view of the underside visible just before touchdown. But on looking at it again because of the angle, the yellow color might be dominated by that of the nose cone.


Bob Clark

 

[orb]

SPACE.com: Air Force Video Recounts 'Thrilling' Landing of Mystery X-37B Space Plane

 

[boogabooga]

Here we go again.

http://news.yahoo.com/air-force-mys...xt-secret-200448511--abc-news-topstories.html

 

[SiberianTiger]

Here we go again.

http://news.yahoo.com/air-force-mys...xt-secret-200448511--abc-news-topstories.html

It does deserve a separate launch thread, then.

 

[orb]

And there will be a thread for it, of course.

(I've already bookmarked an article from SPACE.com which was released 3 days ago, and some earlier from Spaceflight Now.)