X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle lands at Vandenberg AFB
The U.S. Air Force’s first unmanned re-entry spacecraft landed here Dec. 3 at 1:16 a.m. The X-37B, named Orbital Test Vehicle 1, which launched April 22 from Cape Canaveral, Fla., conducted on-orbit experiments for more than 220 days during its maiden voyage. It fired its orbital maneuver engine in low-earth orbit to perform an autonomous reentry before landing.
The X-37B is the newest and most advanced re-entry spacecraft. Managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, the X-37B program performs risk reduction, experimentation and concept of operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies.
“Today’s landing culminates a successful mission based on close teamwork between the 30th Space Wing, Boeing and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office,” said Lt. Col. Troy Giese, the X-37B program manager from the AFRCO. “We are very pleased that the program completed all the on-orbit objectives for the first mission.”
OTV-1′s de-orbit and landing mark the transition from the on-orbit demonstration phase to a refurbishment phase for the program.
An Air Force launch team is preparing to launch the next X-37B, OTV-2, in Spring 2011 aboard an Atlas V booster.
Very cool.. a nice replacement for the shuttle but will it be a bit too late? There are plenty of private companies that may have already accomplished what the air force will take years to catch up on.
Right. Everyone is feeling the heat of shuttle retirement. Even in public opinion everyone feels they need to find a shuttle replacement.