-
#260
by
jcm
on 26 Apr, 2010 13:35
-
Wasn't it discussed during AV-017 that from a safety/paperwork stand point that if the stage can go to escape it is easier and safer to do than make sure it re-enters in a safe manner.
Besides, on a "supper duper hush hush" mission like this you don't have to issue a NOTAM's for where the upper stage came down. That helps keep the cards a "little" closer.
On the other hand, we may pick it up in an asteroid survey... will be interesting to see.
-
#261
by
yg1968
on 26 Apr, 2010 17:36
-
really? Very interesting... I thought the commentary stopped at Centaur MECO-1... when did they talk about the escape vel. firing?
There were at least two web feeds and while the ones I saw cut off images at the same time, sound went on for a bit longer on one of them. I heard them say something about a disposal burn to escape for the Centaur.
There was the ULA webcast and the Spaceflight now webcast. The ULA webcast stopped at Centaur Meco-1. I will check the Spaceflight now webcast tonight.
-
#262
by
tonthomas
on 26 Apr, 2010 20:33
-
Maybe they want the Centaur hanging around so that they can play tag or hide-and-seek with it?
That would be tag or hide-and-seek with a dead Centaur, wouldn't it?
Is it dead?
Thomas
-
#263
by
mmeijeri
on 26 Apr, 2010 20:34
-
It only lasts a couple of hours I think.
-
#264
by
Danderman
on 26 Apr, 2010 20:35
-
Escape velocity firing was heard on the broadcast during launch.
Are you suggesting that the Centaur went into an escape trajectory? Is that possible? Why not deorbit the stage instead?
If sent on escape trajectory (or any other) would this be the first stage without a payload in a similar path?
Just the empty Centaur, after the payload was separated.
-
#265
by
Proponent
on 27 Apr, 2010 00:02
-
It only lasts a couple of hours I think.
Unless somebody wants it to say alive longer. LCROSS's Centaur was lasted a few months.
-
#266
by
Jim
on 27 Apr, 2010 00:12
-
It only lasts a couple of hours I think.
Unless somebody wants it to say alive longer. LCROSS's Centaur was lasted a few months.
No, LCROSS's Centaur did not last a few months. The Centaur was a dead mass attached to LCROSS
-
#267
by
yg1968
on 27 Apr, 2010 03:13
-
really? Very interesting... I thought the commentary stopped at Centaur MECO-1... when did they talk about the escape vel. firing?
There were at least two web feeds and while the ones I saw cut off images at the same time, sound went on for a bit longer on one of them. I heard them say something about a disposal burn to escape for the Centaur.
There was the ULA webcast and the Spaceflight now webcast. The ULA webcast stopped at Centaur Meco-1. I will check the Spaceflight now webcast tonight.
Unfortunately, the audio of my recording of the Spaceflight now coverage was completely garbled after the launch. I couldn't make out what they were saying.
-
#268
by
TheFallen
on 27 Apr, 2010 05:23
-
It only lasts a couple of hours I think.
Unless somebody wants it to say alive longer. LCROSS's Centaur was lasted a few months.
No, LCROSS's Centaur did not last a few months. The Centaur was a dead mass attached to LCROSS
What Jim said.
Folks at Atlas launch control remained for several hours after LRO's launch to vent whatever remaining propellant was inside Centaur, and make it inert for the rest of LCROSS' flight to the Moon
-
#269
by
JosephB
on 27 Apr, 2010 17:51
-
From Boeing :
Boeing-built Orbital Test Vehicle X-37B Begins 1st Flight
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1180
Great shots on the link BUT...
Looks like only Press members can get the Hi-res versions.
Any members of the press care to post these Hi-res photos on this thread? There is one in particular that shows the belly quite nicely.
Would anyone have Hi-res copies of of these photos?
Or know where to find them?
Thanks!
-
#270
by
edkyle99
on 27 Apr, 2010 22:31
-
From Boeing :
Boeing-built Orbital Test Vehicle X-37B Begins 1st Flight
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1180
Great shots on the link BUT...
Looks like only Press members can get the Hi-res versions.
Any members of the press care to post these Hi-res photos on this thread? There is one in particular that shows the belly quite nicely.
Would anyone have Hi-res copies of of these photos?
Or know where to find them?
Thanks!
Here's one.
- Ed Kyle
-
#271
by
eeergo
on 27 Apr, 2010 22:38
-
Thanks so much for that picture Ed!
There are some very interesting looking tiles in the belly reading "Antenna". Any idea as to what they might refer to? Antennas located in that area under the tiles (did the original design support something like this), deployable, or something else entirely?
The wing elevons appear to be some kind of higher-heat-resistance material to my very amateur eye (RCC perhaps?), in contrast to the shuttle's.
-
#272
by
Jim
on 28 Apr, 2010 01:32
-
Thanks so much for that picture Ed!
There are some very interesting looking tiles in the belly reading "Antenna". Any idea as to what they might refer to? Antennas located in that area under the tiles (did the original design support something like this), deployable, or something else entirely?
Probably just antenna under the TPS, like the shuttle. The label just provides a location for testing
-
#273
by
DanWebb
on 28 Apr, 2010 01:48
-
If you knew exactly where to look, you should be able to see the X-37 in the night sky if it went over head. I don’t think Heavens-above has it listed. Is there any chance of getting the necessary info to see when it might go overhead and where to look?
-
#274
by
rdale
on 28 Apr, 2010 02:24
-
No, it's classified and from what I can see even the amateur hunters haven't found it (yet).
-
#275
by
Alpha Control
on 28 Apr, 2010 03:24
-
It's been mentioned before that the X-37 vehicle itself is not classified.
With that said, does anyone know if the landing, whenever it occurs, will be televised? Or recorded and publicly released later? I would certainly like to watch how it flies on approach and landing.
-
#276
by
edkyle99
on 28 Apr, 2010 04:23
-
Thanks so much for that picture Ed!
Here's a side view, which gives a good look at some of the RCS thrusters. A pair of something that look like trunnion attach points (for ground handling?) are also visible. The only exterior side of this thing that no released photos have shown is the aft end, which is interesting.
The closer I look, the more I see a Rockwell (now part of Boeing) mini-Shuttle. This may end up being the only "Shuttle-Derived" item that survives, at least for the next year or so.
- Ed Kyle
-
#277
by
TheFallen
on 28 Apr, 2010 07:18
-
It's been mentioned before that the X-37 vehicle itself is not classified.
With that said, does anyone know if the landing, whenever it occurs, will be televised? Or recorded and publicly released later? I would certainly like to watch how it flies on approach and landing.
No, but the mission itself is classified...which means we'll probably find out about the landing and see video of it long after it has taken place.
-
#278
by
JosephB
on 28 Apr, 2010 10:30
-
Yes, thanks a bunch for the pictures Ed!
Those were the two I was hoping to get from that Boeing release.
I also enjoyed the "To the Moon, Slowly" article in SLR.
Hopefully we'll see more of your articles in the future.
-
#279
by
Jester
on 28 Apr, 2010 11:20
-
No, it's classified and from what I can see even the amateur hunters haven't found it (yet).
They are looking with a guestimate elset currently, which means a wide range of view to check.
A start would be to tell them the exact launch time, the temp elset i've seen so far are based on a launch at the start of the window....
