X-37 Question

Why is the X-37 almost 60% fuel?

That should give it over 2 km/sec velocity change.

All it should need is enough fuel to be able to stabilize its orbit and do a
deorbit burn

It seems capable of about 5 times the needed velocity change.

In article ,
Dholmes wrote:
Why is the X-37 almost 60% fuel?
That should give it over 2 km/sec velocity change.

Correct. Historically -- I'm not up to date on any recent changes -- this
was for two reasons. First, it's meant as a prototype of a reusable
spacecraft with serious maneuverability, for things like rendezvous
missions or significant plane changes after orbit insertion. And second,
one concept for an operational version envisioned launch by a suborbital
lower stage, meaning that the spacecraft would have to do its own quite
substantial insertion burn.
--
MOST launched 1015 EDT 30 June, separated 1046, | Henry Spencer
first ground-station pass 1651, all nominal! |

In article ,
"Dholmes" wrote:

Why is the X-37 almost 60% fuel?

That should give it over 2 km/sec velocity change.

All it should need is enough fuel to be able to stabilize its orbit and do a
deorbit burn

It seems capable of about 5 times the needed velocity change.

Orbital velocity is almost 9 km/sec. So I don't quite follow your math.

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"Dholmes" wrote in message ...
Why is the X-37 almost 60% fuel?

That should give it over 2 km/sec velocity change.

All it should need is enough fuel to be able to stabilize its orbit and do a
deorbit burn

It seems capable of about 5 times the needed velocity change.

The X-37 is derived from the Space Maneuver Vehicle which was intended
to carry reuseable reconnaissance payloads on short notice. The SMV
was also supposed to use propulsive and aerodynamic maneuvering to
change its orbit to provide shorter and unpredictable revisit times,
rapid constellation replenishment, and various other nifty
capabilities.

-jake