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

[tl8]

Personally I think the X-37B is what NASA should be doing, testing things and then improve. Basically do R&D and try not to lock themselves into 1 program that they have to stick with for years.

Anyway, I think the X-37B will do what the Air Force wanted the Shuttle to do (though with less mass)

And it does look pretty cool

 

[anemazoso]

Launch is scheduled for 7:52 p.m. EDT (2352 GMT) today. Hopefully they will stream it.

And ya, it is VERY cool looking. This will definitly prove to be a usefull vehicle to test a lot of new tech. According to the AF, the TPS is second generation from the shuttle TPS. We will see how reusable it turns out to be...

 

[orb]

And here is O-F's calendar event for the launch, with launch timer, for those that don't know the Orbiter Forum has a calendar.

 

[4throck]

It looks somewhat like the Hermes shuttle... I scaled up version might end up being very similar.

 

[N_Molson]

Yeah, the idea of a resusable "minishuttle" is on the paper since the 60's. I always loved this concept, I don't know why !

Anyway it keeps the "lifting body" program alive, which is a good thing. Now we'll see if it works, I must say I'm a little sceptical about this fully automated landing from orbit to the ground.

 

[Notebook]

Been done before:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_(spacecraft)#First_flight

(automated landing from orbit, I mean)

N.

 

[anemazoso]

Been done before:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_(spacecraft)#First_flight

(automated landing from orbit, I mean)

N.

Ya and 20 years ago to boot!

Speaking of mini shuttles, there has been a very interesting series of articles on www.thespacereview.com by Dwane Day about proposed air launched vehicles studied by the USAF in the early 80's.

 

[Urwumpe]

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

The Soyuz-7K main engine KTDU-35 is also pump-fed, only the recent versions use pressure-fed KTDU-80 engines.

 

[bwog]

This might be the first launch I haven't missed by 2 hours since STS-130. :lol:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Live webcam showing Atlas 5 with the X-37B on the launch pad.

 

[anemazoso]

Streaming video of the launch can be found at:

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

 

[Star Voyager]

T-4 minutes and holding. Based on this diagram:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av012/100421diagram.html

it looks like the Centaur is longer than usual. Is this true? Flight controllers verified the T-0.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Spaceflight Now: Atlas 5/X-37B launch timeline.

 

[Star Voyager]

Mission stats:

The 603rd launch for Atlas program since 1957
The 317th Atlas to occur from Cape Canaveral
The 21st launch of an Atlas 5 since 2002
The 19th Atlas 5 to occur from the Cape
The 13th Atlas 5 under United Launch Alliance
The 1st Atlas 5 to fly in the 501 configuration
The 8th Department of Defense launch of Atlas 5
The 2nd Atlas launch of 2010

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All flight controllers say "go" for launch!

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X-37B now on internal power.

---------- Post added at 07:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:46 PM ----------

T-4 minutes and counting!

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Going down the street to see it. Be back later for OTV sep!

 

[bwog]

So, NASA isn't showing it? That's stupid.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

So, NASA isn't showing it? That's stupid.

Nope, NASA TV aren't showing it.

Spaceflight Now are showing it though.
www.livestream.com/newchannel/popoutplayer?channel=spaceflightnow

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Awesome launch!
X-37B is now on it's way to spy on China, North Korea and Iran! Oops, I've said too much... :shifty:

 

[bwog]

Is this whole thing a hoax? Because it doesn't say anything about the launch on the NASA site.

 

[Star Voyager]

LC-41 isn't a NASA site, it's part of ULA at the Cape Canaveral AFS. The reason why NASA isn't covering it is because it's not a NASA launch.

 

[doggie015]

Awesome launch!
X-37B is now on it's way to spy on China, North Korea and Iran! Oops, I've said too much... :shifty:

I missed the launch by 7 minutes!
Do you think the footage will be available as Video On Demand (VOD)?

 

[Star Voyager]

Most definitely.