Sunday, December 05, 2010

Remember the X-37B! (?)

Yeah, that thing.

Did you remember it was gone? Because now it's back.

Secret robot spacecraft, left to its own devices for seven months in orbit. Eh, no way that's going to cause any paranoia.

No, no. It's NORMAL for groundcrew to be in suits like that
when greeting returning spacecraft. Or so They say.

The Air Force had emphasized that the primary purpose of the flight was to test the craft itself but classified its actual activities in orbit, leading to speculation about whether it carried some type of spying system in its small payload bay.

Program manager Lt. Col. Troy Giese said in a statement that all objectives were completed and the landing culminated a successful mission.

The Air Force immediately announced that a second X-37B, which had only been revealed last April, is scheduled to be launched next spring.

Universe Today has more pictures besides that one I stole, above. Be advised that if you look at them, though, you might never get a job at the State Department.

2 comments:

Don McArthur said...

In fact, returning space craft have to be checked for the presence of toxic gases before un-suited humans are allowed near them. It has to due with the nature of the propellants used. Even on the Space Shuttle.

See the photo here.

bjkeefe said...

Sure. That's what They'd like you to believe.

;)

(Link fixt.)

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