The X-37B

[Chorlton]

John Lear's gonna have a ball with this one!

It looks like the space shuttle's more diminutive cousin - but experts say it was created with technology from a generation beyond.
The U.S. military launched the mysterious X-37B unmanned winged spacecraft last night - but what America plans to do with it there is anyone's guess.
The mission has been wrapped in secrecy from the get-go. The Air Force said the launch was a success but would give no details of the mission's progress.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldne ... z0luZxUEY9

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldne ... night.html

[You Can Call Me Ray]

The U.S. military launched the mysterious X-37B unmanned winged spacecraft last night - but what America plans to do with it there is anyone's guess.
The mission has been wrapped in secrecy from the get-go. The Air Force said the launch was a success but would give no details of the mission's progress.

Yep. And it is interesting to hear whines and complaints from people who think government should be "open" about this, "like NASA", without realizing that this is primarily a military program, which NASA happened to lend a hand on here or there.

And then there is the other crowd, the "ban space weapons" people, like "Doctor" Carol Rosin. They sure do spend a lot of time railing against the US government for any "militarization of space", but when China blatantly admits its intentions to militarize space, not a peep. BTW, these people should also realize that the US military has had military satellites and other operations going on in space for a long, LONG time. It is already militarized!

Ray

[gunter]

but when China blatantly admits its intentions to militarize space, not a peep.

Maybe the good 'Doctor' is a secret agent for the ChiBorg, eh? And I take it you're a proponent of weaponizing near earth space? For what purpose?

[Chorlton]

Well, to get US bases off UK soil for a start ?
One of them is slap dab on top a site I want to metal detect on.


[Mod Edit: removed quote of entire previous post]

[Access Denied]

For what purpose?

Defense.

[Chorlton]

For what purpose?

Defence.

fixt !!

[Access Denied]

Oops, my bad.

[Chorlton]

S'okay
I'm in a grumpy mood after having moved house. Well, I didnt do anything, the moving men did and they broke a Lalique figurine of mine. I'm rather annoyed.

[gunter]

For what purpose?

Defense.

Defence against what? The evil Mussulman? Get ye behind me Satan!

[Access Denied]

Threats to our chosen (collectively, in theory) way of life.

[gunter]

Your way of life, not mine.

[You Can Call Me Ray]

Your way of life, not mine.

Then feel free to move out to Afghanistan, Toon. You would be right at home with the Taliban, imposing your will on everyone else while you smoke away!

Ray

[gunter]

Imposing my will? I'm not part of the crowd that has imposed the rule of Leviathan on the world. Can you not see that this obsession with 'defence' has become our prison? The Taliban don't scare me nearly as much as the Neo-Wilsonians. How much of our national product should be devoted to fear and war? When is enough ever enough?

[Chorlton]

How much of our national product should be devoted to fear and war? When is enough ever enough?

HMMM have to agree here. Weve now got to a situation where our soldiers are crying out "Ther Taliban are shooting at us!!" and are moaning about going into battle without bigger and better guns and ammo and trucks and god knows what.
At least theres a chance that we may finally ditch our Nuclear Trident missiles and replace them with far cheaper Cruise missiles.
Whats the point of having a defence system when the people living in the country you are defending have falling standards?.

[longhaircowboy]

Heres the link- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101203/ap_ ... spacecraft
This is the secreet space plane that went on a 270 day mission.

Also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, the Boeing-built spacecraft was originally a NASA project before being taken over by the military.
The Air Force has not said whether it carried anything in its cargo bay, but insists the primary purpose of the mission was to test the craft itself.

And I found this interesting-

However, the ultimate purpose of the X-37B and details about the craft have longed remained a mystery, though experts said the spacecraft was intended to speed up development of combat-support systems and weapons systems.

Yea a space drone. Now we don't have to use their air space. Know anything about this Ray?