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Mysterious US spaceplane returns to Earth

  • 18-10-2014 1:35am
    #1
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭


    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29669205

    A US plane on a top-secret, two-year mission to space has returned to Earth and landed in California.
    The aircraft, resembling a miniature space shuttle and known as the Orbital Test Vehicle or X-37B, spent 674 days in orbit around the planet.
    It touched down at Vandenberg Air Force Base on Friday morning.
    The purpose of the plane remains unclear - a theory that it was taking a look at China's space lab has recently been downplayed by experts.
    Air Force officials have only told US media the aircraft performs "risk reduction, experimentation and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies".

    OK AH, secret US aircraft lands after two years in space, what was it doing (or what were the passengers doing)??

    Big Brother in space! :pac:


Comments

  • #2
    dubscottie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 854 ✭✭✭dubscottie


    Goggle X37B.. Public knowledge..

    Next gen shuttle!


  • #3
    Knasher
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,370 ✭✭✭Knasher


    Deleted User wrote: »
    (or what were the passengers doing)??
    It's a autonomous aircraft, it doesn't carry passengers.


  • #4
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    dubscottie wrote: »
    Goggle X37B.. Public knowledge..

    Next gen shuttle!
    This is AH why spoil the fun and tinfoil!


  • #5
    endacl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,354 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Deleted User wrote: »
    OK AH, secret US aircraft lands after two years in space, what was it doing (or what were the passengers doing)??

    Scattering the Ebola virus, and intercepting dodgy snapchat pics.


  • #6
    endacl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,354 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    dubscottie wrote: »
    Goggle X37B.. Public knowledge..

    Next gen shuttle!

    Goggle really made a breakthrough with the X37B. Very nippy about town.


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  • #7
    endacl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,354 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Mother of Jaysus!!!

    It's crewed by giant spacemen!!!!

    :eek:

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/X-37B_orbital_test_vehicle_landing-2.jpg


  • #8
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    My guess is risk reduction, experimentation and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies.


  • #9
    Birneybau
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,357 ✭✭✭✭Birneybau


    Intelligent apes.

    We're doomed, DOOMED!


  • #10
    Duggy747
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,295 ✭✭✭✭Duggy747


    If there's a naked Sam Neil inside it then it's probably Event Horizon.


  • #11
    Birneybau
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,357 ✭✭✭✭Birneybau


    Duggy747 wrote: »
    If there's a naked Sam Neil inside it then it's probably Event Horizon.

    He was diabolical in that film.


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  • #12
    mikeyjames9
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 700 ✭✭✭mikeyjames9


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    OK AH, secret US aircraft lands after two years in space, what was it doing (or what were the passengers doing)??
    Lookin for extraterrestrial pussy


  • #13
    jill_valentine
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,090 ✭✭✭jill_valentine


    Duggy747 wrote: »
    If there's a naked Sam Neil inside it then it's probably Event Horizon.

    Luckily we'll all pull our eyes out or something soon after.


  • #14
    Thoie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,344 ✭✭✭Thoie


    Bipolar Joe wrote: »
    My guess is risk reduction, experimentation and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies.

    I think that's just a cover up for reusable space vehicle technology proofs of concept, a few "experiments" and a bit of risk analysis (with a view to reduction). You're one of them, aren't you?


  • #15
    RikkFlair
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,109 ✭✭✭RikkFlair


    Birneybau wrote: »
    Intelligent apes.

    We're doomed, DOOMED!

    It's a MADHOUSE!!


  • #16
    Turtwig
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,578 ✭✭✭✭Turtwig


    Quite clearly it was measuring the mutation rate of neutrinos to determine how long we have before the core heats up to human extinction threatening levels and the mantle swallows us all!


  • #17
    jill_valentine
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,090 ✭✭✭jill_valentine


    Maybe they were up there keeping an eye on the Russian sex lizards.


  • #18
    endacl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,354 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    mikeyjames9 wrote: »
    Lookin for extraterrestrial pussy



  • #19
    Sir Arthur Daley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,720 ✭✭✭Sir Arthur Daley


    they stole the attractive female tv presenters, mystery solved.


  • #20
    AndonHandon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,382 ✭✭✭AndonHandon


    If chimpanzes and gorillas outnumbered people, would they enslave us?


  • #21
    Gatling
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    I'd love to know what payload it was carrying for the 2 years
    360_F_102352090_ie3kLjDIvgrT1sxVDknWCUh8PxgMYzM7.jpg




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  • #22
    hardCopy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,969 ✭✭✭hardCopy


    endacl wrote: »
    Scattering the Ebola virus, and intercepting dodgy snapchat pics.

    Ultra-high-altitude chemtrails


  • #23
    namloc1980
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,330 ✭✭✭✭namloc1980


    AndonHandon wrote: »
    If chimpanzes and gorillas outnumbered people, would they enslave us?

    Of course. I saw a documentary about it once called Planet of the Apes.


  • #24
    AndonHandon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,382 ✭✭✭AndonHandon


    namloc1980 wrote: »
    Of course. I saw a documentary about it once called Planet of the Apes.

    And yet people want to protect them!


  • #25
    weisses
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,585 ✭✭✭weisses


    Isn't it obvious it dropped of these 2 on mars ...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ctRsGbZpzU


  • #26
    OneArt
    Registered Users Posts: 1,910 ✭✭✭OneArt


    I sure hope there weren't passengers on it for two years.

    Where would all the poo go?


  • #27
    Gatling
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    OneArt wrote: »
    I sure hope there weren't passengers on it for two years.

    Where would all the poo go?

    Shooting stars comes to mind
    360_F_102352090_ie3kLjDIvgrT1sxVDknWCUh8PxgMYzM7.jpg




  • #28
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Gatling wrote: »
    Shooting stars comes to mind
    Considering the quantities involved, they'd be pretty shíte tbh...


  • #29
    c_man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,436 ✭✭✭c_man


    I heard it came back changed... Smart, self aware...


    At least that's what I've been told.


  • #30
    Overheal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 85,182 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    My guess is its ultimately a neat concept for a repurposable satellite. You can't exactly land Hubble and perform upgrades to it, you need to launch a rather expensive manned mission to do such things in orbit, currently. An unmanned X-37B production type could allow for remote upgrades of other satellites or itself act as a satellite with a given payload and then return to earth for re-fitting at a much lower cost.

    I think the one that caused the most stir was actually the HTV-2 Falcon, I can't find the news reports but this fella caused a stir the other year when it went screaming across the skies

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA_Falcon_Project


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