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Secretive X-37B Robotic Space Plane launched into Space

Air Force Launches Secretive Space Plane
AF: –We Don–t Know When It’s Coming Back– The Air Force launched a secretive space plane into orbit last night from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

STAR WARS: Top-Secret X-37 Robotic Space Plane Launched
A top-secret military mini-shuttle -the first in history scheduled to attempt an automated re-entry- was launched under a shroud of secrecy from Cape Canaveral in the early morning hours…

Us Military Launches Space Plane Into Orbit
The US Military has successfully launched its code named X-37B space plane from Florida.

US Air Force’s X-37B space plane takes off on ‘mystery missi
A US Air Force unmanned spacecraft has blasted off from Florida amid a veil of secrecy about its military mission. The robotic space plane, or X-37B,

News Activity for Space Plane

SPACE.com — Experimental X-37B Robot Space Plane to Launch Thursday
Experimental X-37B Robot Space Plane to Launch Thursday: The U.S. Air Force plans to launch an experimental X-37B … http://bit.ly/cfxF8L

Behind the Air Force’s and NASA’s X-37B Space Plane – Popularmechanics.com
Behind the Air Force’s Secret Robotic Space Plane: Move over NASA. The U.S. Air Force has spent decades on the con… http://bit.ly/b0Llhe

Behind the Air Force’s Secret Robotic Space Plane
RT: Behind the Air Force’s Secret Robotic Space Plane http://bit.ly/ao9mNm

SPACE.com — Some Details of Secretive X-37B Space Plane Revealed
Some Details of Secretive X-37B Space Plane Revealed: An Atlas booster is projected to launch the reusable X-37B O… http://bit.ly/dm4kxn

Air Force to launch X-37 space plane: Precursor to war in orbit– / The Christian Science Monitor – CSMonitor.com
The Air Force is to launch the first test flight of the X-37 pilotless space plane Wednesday. It’s meant to stay aloft for months, but its mission is secret, leading some to worry about its purpose.

Space Plane: Breaking News Updates

Air Force Space Plane: Military Launching Robotic Space Vehicle
LOS ANGELES — After a decade of development, the Air Force this month plans to launch a robotic spacecraft resembling a small space shuttle to conduct technology tests in orbit and then glide home to a California runway. The ultimate purpose of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle and details about the craft, which has been passed between several government agencies, however, remain a mystery as it is prepared for launch April 19 from Cape Canaveral, Fla. “As long as you’re confused you’re in good shape,” said defense analyst John Pike, director of Globalsecurity.org. “I looked into this a couple of years ago – the entire sort of hypersonic, suborbital, scramjet nest of programs – of which there are upwards of a dozen. The more I studied it the less I understood it.” The quietly scheduled launch culminates the project’s long and expensive journey from NASA to the Pentagon’s research and development arm and then to a secretive Air Force unit. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on the X-37 program, but the current total has not been released. The launch date, landing sites and a fact sheet were released by Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Angie I. Blair. She said more information would be released soon, but questions on cost and other matters submitted by e-mail weren’t answered by Friday. While the massive space shuttles have been likened to cargo-hauling trucks, the X-37B is more like a sports car, with the equivalent trunk capacity. Built by Boeing Co.’s Phantom Works, the 11,000-pound craft is 9 1/2 feet tall and just over 29 feet long, with a wingspan of less than 15 feet.

Mystery X-37B Space Plane Set For Launch (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
Is it the first step toward the militarization of space– A new frontier in space exploration– A splace plane build to spy from the skies– No one is sure. The mysterious X-37B unmanned space plane, a robotic spacecraft that has been “wrapped in secrecy from the get-go,” will be launched by the US military on Thursday, April 22. The Orbital Test Vehicle will liftoff atop an Atlas 5 rocket and will launch from the Air Force base in Cape Canaveral, Florida around 7:52PM ET. Yahoo offers details on the mysterious X-37B’s physical features: The small X-37B spacecraft resembles a miniature space shuttle and is equipped with its own payload bay about the size of a pickup truck bed – ample space to hold a couple of small satellites that are a few hundred kilograms each, Payton noted. According to released specifications, the X-37B space plane weighs about 11,000 pounds and is just over 29 feet in length. It stands slightly more than 9 1/2 feet in height and has a wingspan just over 14 feet across. The X-37B space plane is intended to remain in space up to 270 days. More on NASA.

Air Force’s space plane fuels speculation
Space.com: The U.S. Air Force is on the verge of showcasing a new and long-sought after spaceflight capacity with its X-37B space plane, but it will do so on a space mission that’s cloaked in secrecy.

Air Force To Launch Robotic Winged Space Plane
Air Force to launch robotic winged space plane.

Teen suspected of violating Olympics air space in stolen plane
Authorities have a familiar suspect in the theft of a plane that alarmed air traffic controllers when it flew near airspace restricted for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics: They’re looking for “the Barefoot Burglar.”.

White House Axes NASA Shuttle Replacement- SLIDESHOW: Who Will Build NASA’s Space Taxis— Virgin Unveils Underwater ‘Plane’
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News Media

Blast off for X-37B military spaceplane – BBC News
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 …

X-37B robotic space plane aims for Thursday launch – The Associated Press
Gary Payton, Air Force deputy under secretary for space programs, said Tuesday the Air Force has contracted for a second space plane depending on the …

Star Wars 2010– U.S. military launch space plane on maiden voyage… but its … – Prison Planet.com
A top secret space plane developed by the US military has blasted off from Cape Canaveral on its maiden voyage. Billed as a small shuttle, the unmanned …

Unmanned military space planes usher in new weaponry era – Washington Times
At Cape Canaveral, Fla., the Air Force went ahead with the long-anticipated maiden flight of the troubled X-37B space plane, which launches vertically into …

Air Force to Launch Unmanned Military Space Plane – Union of Concerned Scientists
The Air Force is planning to launch a small, unmanned military space plane from Cape Canaveral this week. It will be the first flight for the Air Force's …

X-37B space plane flight set for Thursday – UPI.com
The Air Force says the vehicle can return to Earth automatically, descending and landing like an airplane. The flight for the unmanned X-37B space plane was …

Air Force to launch robotic winged space plane – The Associated Press
NASA began the X-37 program in 1999 in a cooperative deal with Boeing to roughly split the $173 million cost of developing an experimental space plane. …

Space plane prototype set for launch Thursday. – Denver Post
A US military prototype space plane is set for launch Thursday by Centennial-based United Launch Alliance. The X-37B test vehicle will be taken aloft by an …

Mystery Space Plane’s Mystery Mission Approaches – FOXNews
The US Air Force is on the verge of showcasing a new and long-sought after spaceflight capacity with its X-37B space plane, but it will do …

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