X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV)

[Flyaway]

X-37B Aerobraking video from Boeing:

View: https://youtu.be/HCZVSuW98eM?si=V73dwh_d7bdYo_oG

 

[zjz]

Space Ops: Shedding Some Light On The X-37B | Aviation Week Network

The Pentagon has historically kept the spaceplane’s capabilities and mission objectives under wraps.

aviationweek.com

 

[dark sidius]

Space Ops: Shedding Some Light On The X-37B | Aviation Week Network

The Pentagon has historically kept the spaceplane’s capabilities and mission objectives under wraps.

aviationweek.com

Do you think there will be another successor of the X-37B ?

 

[TomcatViP]

IMOHO, It will depend on how the VLO pseudo satellites will fair in the future. But a robotic Space plane would probably still be needed for most dynamic situations. For example, with the risks of a war on orbital altitudes (debris mine field, nuke...), only something like the 37 would be able to support the on orbit recon mission deterrence aspect.
A similar Lunar based asset would fair even better.

 

[Byeman]

IMOHO, It will depend on how the VLO pseudo satellites will fair in the future. But a robotic Space plane would probably still be needed for most dynamic situations. For example, with the risks of a war on orbital altitudes (debris mine field, nuke...), only something like the 37 would be able to support the on orbit recon mission deterrence aspect.
A similar Lunar based asset would fair even better.

No, on neither.
A. A space plane is just as vulnerable as any other VLO satellite. And it is no more responsive to dynamic situations. It can't maneuver any different that any other satellites except when it is in any highly elliptical orbit with a low perigee (useless for most tasks). And as it is maneuvering in the atmosphere, it can't do anything else like reconnaissance. The mitigation of "the risks of a war on orbital altitudes (debris mine field, nuke...)" is a multiple or constellation of satellites with maneuvering propellant. Now, an easier task with lower launch costs.

A lunar base asset is useless, it is several days away from any availability for imaging reconn.

There X-37B is not doing any imaging reconnaissance. It has been in poor orbits for such a task nor does it has the payload capacity.

edited for spellchecking changes and clarifications

 

[TomcatViP]

yeah yeah yeah... Next?

 

[Byeman]

yeah yeah yeah... Next?

I don't know, up to you to post some more nonsense.

 

[TomcatViP]

What is nonsense? VLO, the X-37 orbital geometry or the militarization of the moon?
Oh, wait, forget it. Save us some time.

 

[Byeman]

What is nonsense? VLO, the X-37 orbital geometry or the militarization of the moon?
Oh, wait, forget it. Save us some time.

militarization of the moon, X-37 as game changer or replacing any existing platform or constellation, VLO is nothing new