Pat Flannery wrote:
On 9/13/2010 1:23 PM, Jorge R. Frank wrote:


Good point. Whatever X-37B is, the USAF probably wouldn't want the other
ISS partners to get too good a look at it.

Other than what might be lurking in its cargo bay, the exterior of it
has been well photographed from close range from multiple angles before
launch:

If the label on the wing is the problem, NASA can always buy a few...
The reality is, NASA probably has better (more cost effective) ways of getting
cargo up to the ISS. There is a small window where the X37B could be useful
for getting cargo down from the ISS, but the required docking adapter design
would likely make it unfeasible in time to be useful against say the Dragon
(right Jorge?).

So maybe not. OTOH the Air Force has a cool new toy. Maybe they'll be using it
to deploy and capture LEO recon sats when orbital delta-Vs for retasking would
otherwise place too high a fuel demand on the thrusters of the sats
themselves. Sort of a spy-sat on demand capability, i.e. to borrow a Jorge
acronym LON. You could envision the sat could remain in the cargo bay of the
X37 and go operational whilst still attached. After several weeks you could
then decide whether to deploy the sat in orbit for a longer stay or just
return it right then. Later, if you did deploy, you could send up another X37
to retrieve it for refurb.

Dave