- US Air Force mini-space shuttle – ready for Atlas V liftoff. Credit: US Air Force
- X-37 B space plane. Credit: US Air Force
The U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office is pressing forward on the launch of the second X-37B on March 4 with a back-up launch opportunity March 5.
The X-37B is a Defense Department orbital test vehicle initiative, by direction of the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics and the secretary of the Air Force.
The first X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-1) launch back in April of last year, that mission flew 225 days. On that maiden flight of the craft, Air Force officials focused on testing and evaluating the performance capabilities of the vehicle.
This second mission – purportedly using a second X-37B craft that has been built — will build upon the OTV-1 on-orbit demonstration, validate and replicate initial testing and fine tune the technical parameters of the vehicle tests.
The unpiloted winged spacecraft is to be lofted from Florida into Earth orbit on a classified mission using an Atlas V booster. Like the previous test of the craft, it will make a runway landing on auto-pilot at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Tune in live for the liftoff of this latest X-37B mission with a launch window opening at 3:39 p.m. EST on March 4.
Go to:
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Multimedia_Webcast.shtml
By LD/CSE