X-37B launched

[VJ]

I'm surprised this slipped under Doc's radar:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8601172.stm

A prototype spaceplane developed for the US military has been launched into orbit from Florida.

The X-37B, which has been likened to a scaled-down space shuttle, blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 1952 EDT (2352 GMT) on Thursday.

The military vehicle is unpiloted and will carry out the first autonomous re-entry and landing in the history of the US space programme.

[Dr Mordrid]

I'm surprised this slipped under Doc's radar....

I was in the hospital for a few days getting part of my toe amputation sites skin graft tuned up. Half of it didn't work & needed to be trimmed off and replaced, so now I'm back on IV antibiotics for a couple weeks (doing my own IV's at home via a PICC line in my right cephalic vein)

Anyhow, couple shots of the military spacecraft prototype, another of which is due to go up next year;

[KRSESQ]

This prototype is TINY. Small enough to fit inside my house (and I have a small house)! I hope the operational version is significantly bigger, or else it's just not going to have the payload capacity (up or down) to be useful.

Kevin

[VJ]

Doc: Great to have you back! Hope all is well...

I just find it odd that they are still pursuing the spaceshuttle design... You would think that they would try to move away from the fragile ceramic tiles... Granted, there aren't that many alternatives (ablative heat shield comes to mind) though...

[Dr Mordrid]

Thanks

I have a daily visiting nurse (a young redhead, no less) who changes the dressing and does my vitals.

It's worked out quite well with the swelling and discoloration gone and my foot, save for the wound of course, back to normal. I'm walking on it just fine, no cane or walker necessary, though not as fast as before yet. Pain isn't a factor since, as noted, I was walking on the evening after the amputation - but then my pain threshold is extremely high and the docs say it's OK.

I refuse opiates as matters of policy and, as my wife puts it, sheer stubbornness.

Back to the OT: they have moved on from the fragile LI-900 silica tiles used on the shuttle. This one uses PICA, which is a lightweight solid material very similar to the PICA-X used on SpaceX's re-usable Dragon spaceship.

PICA = Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator. Good for heat loads up to 1,200 W/sq cm and the system used for several Mars missions. Durable enough to endure ~30,000 mph re-entries like the Stardust mission, and PICA-X is said to be even stronger (which makes you wonder what SpaceX is really up to with Dragon.)

A spaceplane design has some advantages, including that this military spacecraft can land at any airstrip in the world and the design has a significant cross-range capability - probably in excess of 3,000-4,000 km. It could also quite possibly be lofted by any number of "pop-up" launchers in the works by SpaceX, Orbital or Blue Origin, meaning they could be launched on need within a few hours or less.

Ex: Once the payload is integrated (fast given their system) SpaceX's Falcon 1e and Falcon 9 can be rolled out, erected, fueled and launched in 1 hour, which is why the DoD is so interested in them.

KRSESQ: the X-37B is also a prototype, meaning an operational one could well be larger - or even manned.

[KRSESQ]

Years ago I read in Aviation Week that the Air Force wanted its own fleet of space shuttles that it could launch at-will from Vandenberg. Looks like they may finally get their wish.

Kevin

[Dr Mordrid]

Consider that DoD, and especially the Marines, have acknowledged interest in a spacecraft that could insert single units from orbit. Also consider that now Starship Troopers is required reading at some of our military officer academies.