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#500
by
stockman
on 03 Dec, 2010 18:52
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For posterity since this is now posted in the public domain - here are a couple of snaps from the video for those who have not had a chance to watch it.
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#501
by
Jim
on 03 Dec, 2010 18:52
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BTW, I can’t believe there hasn’t been any speculation yet about something very obvious in the video.
Do you mean the thing sticking out of the top? Looks like the speed brake to me.
It is
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#502
by
JosephB
on 03 Dec, 2010 18:59
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BTW, I can’t believe there hasn’t been any speculation yet about something very obvious in the video.
Do you mean the thing sticking out of the top? Looks like the speed brake to me.
It is
ok, makes sense. Imagination was getting whipped up for a sec there.
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#503
by
JosephB
on 03 Dec, 2010 19:00
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Sweet!
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#504
by
Pheogh
on 03 Dec, 2010 19:10
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Photo of the X-37B post-landing.
This has got to be the coolest thing going. Wish it wasn't so secretive.
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#505
by
Robotbeat
on 03 Dec, 2010 19:11
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Photo of the X-37B post-landing.
This has got to be the coolest thing going. Wish it wasn't so secretive.
Agreed! Although it kind of makes it cooler, too.
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#506
by
JosephB
on 03 Dec, 2010 19:20
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I think he's talking about the pickup truck driving up behind it.
No, obviously a Dodge, 2500.
Hemi
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#507
by
Space Pete
on 03 Dec, 2010 19:35
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Who wants hi-res photos?
Did I hear you say "No thanks"?
Okay then, I won't post them.
.....
Nah, these are just too cool - here they are (courtesy Boeing).
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#508
by
Jeff Lerner
on 03 Dec, 2010 19:42
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Who wants hi-res photos?
Did I hear you say "No thanks"?
Okay then, I won't post them.
.....
Nah, these are just too cool - here they are (courtesy Boeing).
Any thoughts as to what those "stains" on the top of spacecraft are
...sun exposure ??...re-entry effects ??
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#509
by
jimvela
on 03 Dec, 2010 19:47
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Any thoughts as to what those "stains" on the top of spacecraft are ...sun exposure ??...re-entry effects ??
Looks to me like coating has come off of composite structure...
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#510
by
Space Pete
on 03 Dec, 2010 20:01
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More landing photos (Courtesy: USAF 30th Space Wing via Facebook).
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#511
by
Space Pete
on 03 Dec, 2010 20:01
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More landing photos (Courtesy: USAF 30th Space Wing via Facebook).
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#512
by
Pheogh
on 03 Dec, 2010 20:13
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Please forgive me if this was a stupid question but was the X-37 capable of reaching GSO and if not does anyone have any idea how high its orbit did get?
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#513
by
Lee Jay
on 03 Dec, 2010 20:29
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Please forgive me if this was a stupid question but was the X-37 capable of reaching GSO and if not does anyone have any idea how high its orbit did get?
I think it was around the 400km point.
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#514
by
alexw
on 03 Dec, 2010 20:37
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Please forgive me if this was a stupid question but was the X-37 capable of reaching GSO and if not does anyone have any idea how high its orbit did get?
Given the WP mass around 5mT, not on the AV501 it launched on, and maybe not even on an AV551 (how much delta-V does X-37 have?) Either Heavy could drop it directly into GSO.
But them wings would be less useful out there.
-Alex
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#515
by
Robotbeat
on 03 Dec, 2010 20:43
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Thank you, Space Pete! Beautiful pictures. Without windows, it seems like it's some kind of blind fish.
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#516
by
Stephan
on 03 Dec, 2010 20:46
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does anyone have any idea how high its orbit did get?
(per SeeSat mailing list and Heavens-Above)
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#517
by
JimO
on 03 Dec, 2010 21:28
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Yeah, having a body flap on TOP threw me for a bit.
Go to the video and pop back and forth between the ten minute break from wheels stop to convoy arrival, do it twenty times or so, and look at what's cooling down and what's HEATING UP in that interval. Look at the wheels, the nose, the stabilizers, the topside surface...
BTW the video link from the Vandenberg home page is no longer working, so here's a toast to youtube!!
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#518
by
Space Pete
on 03 Dec, 2010 21:29
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Video: X-37B Landing at Vandenberg AFB.
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#519
by
JimO
on 03 Dec, 2010 21:31
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The stains appear to be tile-specific so probably are discoloration of water-proofing chemicals applied during fabrication, or some such localized effect. They could be deliberate different treatments of specific tiles, for testing. Stains from hypergolic leaks (or APU exhaust -- which notice, there WASN'T any in the IR views) tend to streak. These stains don't appear to do that.
View 7 DOES appear to show stains downwind of the right nose RCS jet. But the NASA shuttle never used nose thrusters during aero entry since their affect on laminar flow could induce turbulance and thus actually increase drag on the nose and jerk the vehicle TOWARD rather than AWAY from the plume. Perhaps the stain reflects a thrust prop leak -- it would be interesting to see if the left nose thruster left a similar downwind plume.
SEF10-11611-003.X-37B.jpg shows a nose-on view, not sure what it's trying to tell me. Let me mull.
...sun exposure ??...re-entry effects ??
