Launch News X-37B on Atlas V from Cape Canaveral

[Star Voyager]

The X-37B spaceplane arrived at Cape Canaveral for its April launch. OTV 1 will carry out a test flight of it and land at Vandenberg AFB:

http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av012/100225x37arrival/

 

[Deltafang]

Wow! Thanks for updating us on this! I was looking for any more info on the X-37B and couldn't find any. I hope they don't keep it in orbit too long, I can't wait to see how good it does in re-entry. Its good to see us still working on reusable vehicles that glide on re-entry. We're still a long way away from spaceplanes, SSTOs and 'cheap' space flight, but its good to see we're still making advances. A few of my friends consider the decommissioning of the shuttle fleet the end of manned spaceflight as we know it. I don't think so. The X-37 was originally designed to be a manned spacecraft, but I don't remember when they made the decision for it to be autonomous. When the procure the first working model, do you think it'll be designed with pilots in mind?

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Cool! :thumbup:

I'm glad to see somebody is actively pursuing future technologies, instead of just talking about & making animations of them.

 

[Star Voyager]

When the procure the first working model, do you think it'll be designed with pilots in mind?

I sure hope so, but the Air Force is adament on leaving this unmanned, allowing mission durations to be up to 270 days long (yes, 270 DAYS :jawdrops:!).

 

[lennartsmit]

I sure hope so, but the Air Force is adament on leaving this unmanned, allowing mission durations to be up to 270 days long (yes, 270 DAYS :jawdrops:!).

You'd first need a man rated launcher. I don't think they would use the shuttle stack.

 

[Star Voyager]

The Air Force is using an Atlas V, like it says in the article. Since it does maintain about 5 g's during launch, I think it is man rated. If not, there can always be modifications.

 

[Ark]

Cool! :thumbup:

I'm glad to see somebody is actively pursuing future technologies, instead of just talking about & making animations of them.

Ooooh, burn. :lol:

 

[anemazoso]

The Air Force is using an Atlas V, like it says in the article. Since it does maintain about 5 g's during launch, I think it is man rated. If not, there can always be modifications.

They are in the process of man-rating the Atlas V for Bigelow and CCDev.

 

[Urwumpe]

The Air Force is using an Atlas V, like it says in the article. Since it does maintain about 5 g's during launch, I think it is man rated. If not, there can always be modifications.

Man rated is not that much about the acceleration or vibration environment, but rather about the reliability of the complete launch vehicle system. Most standards of man-rating mean "two-failure safe" , the Atlas V and the Ariane V are both currently, like most unmanned launchers, "one-failure safe".

 

[anemazoso]

Man rated is not that much about the acceleration or vibration environment, but rather about the reliability of the complete launch vehicle system. Most standards of man-rating mean "two-failure safe" , the Atlas V and the Ariane V are both currently, like most unmanned launchers, "one-failure safe".

Doesn't that also mean every system is monitored more closely during launch? Also, what exactly is "two-failure safe"? Does that mean more redundancy? Can you provide an example?

 

[Urwumpe]

Doesn't that also mean every system is monitored more closely during launch? Also, what exactly is "two-failure safe"? Does that mean more redundancy? Can you provide an example?

For example: You have three redundant guidance computer strings. If one fails to calculate properly, you still have two to notice this. If two fail, you would get a dilemma - in the best case, you get two computers noticing that they are damaged in the worst case you would get three diverging but plausible results.

One failure is not stopping the mission, two failures would mean the complete guidance system is out of order.

Now you could still fly in a manned launch vehicle which is able to take over the guidance with its own guidance system, you would still be able to have two failures and go on with the mission.

But if you for example have only TVC actuators, that are single-failure safe, all two-safe stuff in the guidance loop would be pointless. you are again only single-failure in this system.

 

[Star Voyager]

Launch moved to April 19th at 10:00 p.m. EDT.

 

[Star Voyager]

Atlas V underwent a practice countdown at LC-41. Here are the details:

http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av012/status.html

---------- Post added at 08:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:46 PM ----------

More info on the X-37B and its story:

http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av012/100402x37update/

http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av012/x37factsheet.pdf

 

[gedaliah_atl]

AP article, 7:47PM Sat EDT:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100403/ap_on_sc/us_mystery_spacecraft

 

[anemazoso]

Does anyone know what version of the Atlas V is being used?

 

[Piper]

Does anyone know what version of the Atlas V is being used?

Atlas 501 as per the fact-sheet.

 

[Eagle]

This is the (NASA) standard for man-rating:

http://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/displayDir.cfm?Internal_ID=N_PR_8705_002B_&page_name=Chapter1

 

[tblaxland]

Air Force's miniature space shuttle reaches launch pad
http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av012/100421preview/

"Fundamentally, this is an updated version of the space shuttle," said Gary Payton, the U.S. Air Force's top civilian leader for military space programs.

:blink: Only much smaller and not man rated :dry:. I wonder if it is slated to get a robotic arm?

Interesting that it is using a gas generator cycle engine for orbital manoeuvring too (pressure-fed being the norm, I would have thought). Same engine as used on the NF-104A. Some info on it in this NTRS report: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20000033615_2000043589.pdf

 

[Sky Captain]

Air Force's miniature space shuttle reaches launch pad
http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av012/100421preview/
:blink: Only much smaller and not man rated :dry:. I wonder if it is slated to get a robotic arm?

Interesting that it is using a gas generator cycle engine for orbital manoeuvring too (pressure-fed being the norm, I would have thought). Same engine as used on the NF-104A. Some info on it in this NTRS report: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20000033615_2000043589.pdf

Is it even possible to man rate it? This mini shuttle seems too small to put more than one astronaut in it. Still it would be cool if data gathered in this program were used to build a small manned shuttle that could ferry astronauts to space stations and deep space vessels waiting in orbit.

 

[Wally]

Maybe they are planning to scale it up?