NASA's X-37 transferred to....

[Dr Mordrid]

....an "unidentified US government agency" whose name is classified.

Space.com story....

Hmmmm......ties to Rutan, whose White Knight drop plane will be used instead of a NASA B-52, and Boeing's Space and Intelligence Systems?

Interesting....

Dr. Mordrid

[DGhost]

iiinnntteerreesttinnggg....

for that sort of R&D work it is kinda wierd that it moved outside of the hands of NASA....

DARPA? NSA/CIA? Off the top of my head I can't really think of any other "US Government agency" that would enough of an interest in the technology (or potential finished productst) to fund it.

[KvHagedorn]

The Air Force, maybe..

[Dilitante1]

Prolly NSA they have no replacement for the SR-71 still other than satellite peeking since early 90s

[GT98]

Well from reading inbetween the lines, it seems like the NSA or its ilk had a vested intrest in the program and it seemed like the program was in trouble from what the article stated and figured it would be in its best interests to take the program over as not to lose it.

You would think they would have picked it up from the start, instead of going from a white program to a black one.

[DGhost]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn
The Air Force, maybe..

doubtful. they cited the use of Ratan as a cost saving measure compared to the use of a B-52... considering that is entirely the AF's realm, I would be *really* supprised if the AF would choose to let an outside company handle it...

also, the AF stopped funding the program back in 2001... it wouldn't make sense for them to pick it back up...

an interesting quote...

Boeing spokesman Ed Meme said Sept. 13 that the X-37 program is no longer managed by Boeing NASA Systems and is now under the purview of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems.

Boing Space and Intelligence Systems? also...

NASA spokesman Michael Braukus said Sept. 13 the U.S. space agency would remain involved in the X-37 program, but would no longer run the show. The lead, he said, has been given to a government agency that for now NASA is not permitted to name.

"The government entity is classified," Braukus said. "We will be able to acknowledge who that partner is when they give us permission." Braukus said he expected to receive that permission soon.

The government entity is classified? as in the entity itself or just it's involvement? definately something hush-hush.

[Elie]

They took it to area 51 for further developement, they will install alien propulsion on the new X-37

[Jon P. Inghram]

They released it, it's DARPA.

[Duty]

Yahoo article here

Jeff