US launches unmanned robotic space plane X-37B
April 26th, 2010 - 2:38 am ICT by Aishwarya BhattWashington DC, Apr 25 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The United States has launched an unmanned robotic space plane called as the X-37B. The Air Force is officially calling it as a ‘test vehicle’. The unmanned Orbital Test Vehicle 1 (OTV-1) lifted off this week, in to the space, on its maiden space voyage. It looks like a tiny space shuttle. The rocket, which housed the reusable X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, was fired onto its space voyage from the Cape Canaveral Air Force station.
According to reports the shuttle is built by the Boeing Company’s Phantom Works, and it weighs a whooping 11,000 pounds. The height of the craft is said to be 9 and a half feet, and it is about 29 feet in length. And the wingspan of the craft is around 15 feet. The other interesting features about the craft are that it boasts of two angled tail fins instead of the stabilizer. And it can also get electrical power in the space with the help of the solar panels. The main purpose of this craft is that it is going to be a sort of a test platform for experiments in space. It is capable of staying in its orbit for around 270 days.
- Top secret US spy plane back after long sojourn - Dec 05, 2010
- US Air Force launches second robotic space plane on mystery mission - Mar 06, 2011
- US Air Force launches 'space plane' - Apr 23, 2010
- X37 Waiting For Its Space Journey Debut - Mar 20, 2010
- US Air Force and Boeing all set to launch unpiloted military space plane - Jun 06, 2009
- US moving towards 'high-altitude' weaponry era with Falcon, X-37B launches - Apr 24, 2010
- US Air Force's X-37B space plane takes off on 'mystery mission' - Apr 23, 2010
- First private spacecraft launched to space station - May 22, 2012
- First commercial spacecraft docks with space station - May 26, 2012
- NASA hails new era in space - May 23, 2012
- Atlantis docks for last time with International Space Station - Jul 11, 2011
- Roles of U.S. Air Force secret space plane - May 22, 2010
- US testing deadlier, stealthier drones - Jan 11, 2011
- First private spacecraft launch to ISS delayed - Apr 25, 2012
- Astronomers claim to have found US Air Force's 'top secret' space shuttle - May 24, 2010
Tags: air force station, boeing, boeing company, cape canaveral air, cape canaveral air force station, electrical power, orbit, orbital test, phantom works, robotic space plane, solar panels, space shuttle, space voyage, stabilizer, tail fins, test platform, test vehicle, tiny space, washington dc, wingspan