I wonder if the X-37B is able to be launched on other vehicles?
Quote from: smfarmer11 on 05/07/2017 09:16 pmDidn't they choose the wingspan so that it would fit inside the payload bay of the shuttle?My understanding is that the dimensions of the craft were frozen before changing launchers from STS to Delta II, no payload fairing. Or, the USAF chose not to change the dimensions, even though Shuttle was no longer the launcher.(The launcher was then changed again from Delta II to EELV, with payload fairing.)I also >think< I remember one of our NSF experts stating that a Delta IV Medium could be used to launch an X-37B, but it was chosen against because of greater cost?EDIT: On Gunter's Space Page, the alternate launch vehicle is stated to be Delta IV-M+(5,2).
Didn't they choose the wingspan so that it would fit inside the payload bay of the shuttle?
A couple of questions for Chris G, from his article Air Force’s X-37B lands at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility(Great reporting! )QuoteIn fact, after landing, the X-37B is expected to be towed to OPF-1 for post-flight servicing operations. This operation has been tested several times with a mock-up space plane.This appears to be "new news," but not unexpected. Do you know when this happened? Were practice moves also performed at Vandenberg before OTV-1?QuotePresently, two X-37Bs are known to exist, with the first flying the OTV-1 and -3 missions and the second flying the OTV-2 and -4 missions.Re: the identity of the craft used on OTV-4; this also appears to be "new news." Is there any documentation?***Questions for any knowledgeable peanut in the NSF Peanut Gallery:Pardon me if this question has been asked and answered. Is there any reason PRECLUDING launching an X-37B from Vandenberg?Could an X-37B in polar orbit land at KSC? (Another way of asking this question--if Shuttles had launched from Vandenberg, could they have used the KSC SLC as a back-up landing location?)Thank you in advance!
In fact, after landing, the X-37B is expected to be towed to OPF-1 for post-flight servicing operations. This operation has been tested several times with a mock-up space plane.
Presently, two X-37Bs are known to exist, with the first flying the OTV-1 and -3 missions and the second flying the OTV-2 and -4 missions.
The X-37B appears to be landing crazy fast in these videos due to its small size.So I was curious and I counted 61 frames in the 30 fps video for the vehicle to cover the runway overrun, which Google Earth measures up at 200 m long.61/30 seconds to cover 200 m equals: 190 knots (355 km/hr)Unsurprisingly similar to the Space Shuttle.
Someone was asking on another forum that shouldn't the hall thruster on the back have been stained by the conventional RCS?
Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 05/08/2017 05:52 pmA couple of questions for Chris G, from his article Air Force’s X-37B lands at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility Re: the identity of the craft used on OTV-4; this also appears to be "new news." Is there any documentation? The source material for OTV-4 using the second X-37B comes from its launch, when it was referred to as "the second flight of the second X-37B."
A couple of questions for Chris G, from his article Air Force’s X-37B lands at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility Re: the identity of the craft used on OTV-4; this also appears to be "new news." Is there any documentation?
Quote from: ChrisGebhardt on 05/08/2017 07:47 pmQuote from: zubenelgenubi on 05/08/2017 05:52 pmA couple of questions for Chris G, from his article Air Force’s X-37B lands at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility Re: the identity of the craft used on OTV-4; this also appears to be "new news." Is there any documentation? The source material for OTV-4 using the second X-37B comes from its launch, when it was referred to as "the second flight of the second X-37B." Can you source this more precisely? At the time of launch and shortly after there was discussion on NSFthat in fact USAF *refused* to specify which X-37B it was. Exactly who said it was the 2nd flight of the 2nd one, was it someone official? This is definitely new news and I'm skeptical of the quote.
Quote from: Machdiamond on 05/09/2017 05:11 pmThe X-37B appears to be landing crazy fast in these videos due to its small size.So I was curious and I counted 61 frames in the 30 fps video for the vehicle to cover the runway overrun, which Google Earth measures up at 200 m long.61/30 seconds to cover 200 m equals: 190 knots (355 km/hr)Unsurprisingly similar to the Space Shuttle.Ok, so in videos associated with the landing, and apparently used for the photo analysis, while watching the whole thing, I see a space shuttle sitting out in the open off to the side of the runway.What shuttle?
Quote from: Olaf on 05/07/2017 02:28 pmQuote from: Star One on 05/07/2017 02:24 pmThe second link reveals that OTV-5 will launch later in 2017. Has a possible launch for this appeared on the schedule yet?Maybe this one from 2018?QuoteMarch - AFSPC-11 - Atlas V 551 (AV-079) - Canaveral SLC-41Atlas V 551 not typical for OTV-launches.My suggestion:2018 TBD - AFSPC-7 - Atlas V (AV-0??) - Canaveral SLC-41
Quote from: Star One on 05/07/2017 02:24 pmThe second link reveals that OTV-5 will launch later in 2017. Has a possible launch for this appeared on the schedule yet?Maybe this one from 2018?QuoteMarch - AFSPC-11 - Atlas V 551 (AV-079) - Canaveral SLC-41
The second link reveals that OTV-5 will launch later in 2017. Has a possible launch for this appeared on the schedule yet?
March - AFSPC-11 - Atlas V 551 (AV-079) - Canaveral SLC-41
Quote from: Alter Sachse on 05/07/2017 06:12 pmQuote from: Olaf on 05/07/2017 02:28 pmQuote from: Star One on 05/07/2017 02:24 pmThe second link reveals that OTV-5 will launch later in 2017. Has a possible launch for this appeared on the schedule yet?Maybe this one from 2018?QuoteMarch - AFSPC-11 - Atlas V 551 (AV-079) - Canaveral SLC-41Atlas V 551 not typical for OTV-launches.My suggestion:2018 TBD - AFSPC-7 - Atlas V (AV-0??) - Canaveral SLC-41The riddle is solvedAugust - AFSPC-7: OTV-5 (X-37B 01 flight 3) - Falcon 9 - Kennedy LC-39A
Quote from: Alter Sachse on 06/07/2017 10:26 amQuote from: Alter Sachse on 05/07/2017 06:12 pmQuote from: Olaf on 05/07/2017 02:28 pmQuote from: Star One on 05/07/2017 02:24 pmThe second link reveals that OTV-5 will launch later in 2017. Has a possible launch for this appeared on the schedule yet?Maybe this one from 2018?QuoteMarch - AFSPC-11 - Atlas V 551 (AV-079) - Canaveral SLC-41Atlas V 551 not typical for OTV-launches.My suggestion:2018 TBD - AFSPC-7 - Atlas V (AV-0??) - Canaveral SLC-41The riddle is solvedAugust - AFSPC-7: OTV-5 (X-37B 01 flight 3) - Falcon 9 - Kennedy LC-39AWhy are you associating AFSPC-7 with this launch?