X37B to rendezvous with ISS....

OK, gotcha, I made this up. :-D

But seriously, can anyone think of a legit scenario where this could happen?
Can the X37-B reach the ISS? Or are all its capabilities so deeply classified
no-one can say?

One tongue-in-cheek scenario I can think of. Georgia/South-Ossetia situation
heats back up. USAF parks X37B close enough to ISS to block ability to take
photos of the ground! :-)

Dave

On 09/11/2010 09:58 PM, David Spain wrote:
OK, gotcha, I made this up. :-D

But seriously, can anyone think of a legit scenario where this could
happen? Can the X37-B reach the ISS? Or are all its capabilities so
deeply classified no-one can say?

Wrong inclination, highly doubtful X-37B has enough plane change capability.

On 12/09/2010 12:58 PM, David Spain wrote:
OK, gotcha, I made this up. :-D

But seriously, can anyone think of a legit scenario where this could
happen? Can the X37-B reach the ISS? Or are all its capabilities so
deeply classified no-one can say?

One tongue-in-cheek scenario I can think of. Georgia/South-Ossetia
situation heats back up. USAF parks X37B close enough to ISS to block
ability to take photos of the ground! :-)

It would have to be in a slightly lower orbit to have that effect.
Keeping it on station would use its propellant up in short order I'd
expect. Haven't done the sums though.

Sylvia

Never happen in today's wide open world.
Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"David Spain" wrote in message
...
OK, gotcha, I made this up. :-D

But seriously, can anyone think of a legit scenario where this could
happen? Can the X37-B reach the ISS? Or are all its capabilities so deeply
classified no-one can say?

One tongue-in-cheek scenario I can think of. Georgia/South-Ossetia
situation heats back up. USAF parks X37B close enough to ISS to block
ability to take photos of the ground! :-)

Dave

On 9/11/2010 6:58 PM, David Spain wrote:
OK, gotcha, I made this up. :-D

But seriously, can anyone think of a legit scenario where this could
happen? Can the X37-B reach the ISS? Or are all its capabilities so
deeply classified no-one can say?

One tongue-in-cheek scenario I can think of. Georgia/South-Ossetia
situation heats back up. USAF parks X37B close enough to ISS to block
ability to take photos of the ground! :-)

I don't think its orbital inclination allows that, even with its limited
delta v ability to modify its orbit inclination and altitude.

Pat

Jorge R. Frank wrote:
On 09/11/2010 09:58 PM, David Spain wrote:
OK, gotcha, I made this up. :-D

But seriously, can anyone think of a legit scenario where this could
happen? Can the X37-B reach the ISS? Or are all its capabilities so
deeply classified no-one can say?

Wrong inclination, highly doubtful X-37B has enough plane change
capability.

I was presuming on a reflight mission.

--
Greg Moore
Ask me about lily, an RPI based CMC.

On 09/12/2010 12:55 PM, David Spain wrote:
Greg D. Moore (Strider) wrote:
Jorge R. Frank wrote:
On 09/11/2010 09:58 PM, David Spain wrote:
OK, gotcha, I made this up. :-D

But seriously, can anyone think of a legit scenario where this could
happen? Can the X37-B reach the ISS? Or are all its capabilities so
deeply classified no-one can say?
Wrong inclination, highly doubtful X-37B has enough plane change
capability.

I was presuming on a reflight mission.


Yes. Not the current one.

Then the limiting factor is whether X-37B has relnav sensors and
software. I don't believe the current one does. Don't know if they're
developing such capability for a followon.

Bottom line is, anything's possible if they put the development work
(read: money) in.

But isn't the reality more likely that this will be launched on very
very high inclination orbits from Vandenberg? Seems likely to be the
more useful orbits for its, ahem, intended purpose... And would these be
too highly inclined for the ISS or about right?

Too highly inclined.

On Sep 12, 11:43*am, "Jorge R. Frank" wrote:
On 09/12/2010 12:55 PM, David Spain wrote:

Greg D. Moore (Strider) wrote:
Jorge R. Frank wrote:
On 09/11/2010 09:58 PM, David Spain wrote:
OK, gotcha, I made this up. :-D

But seriously, can anyone think of a legit scenario where this could
happen? Can the X37-B reach the ISS? Or are all its capabilities so
deeply classified no-one can say?
Wrong inclination, highly doubtful X-37B has enough plane change
capability.

I was presuming on a reflight mission.

Yes. Not the current one.

Then the limiting factor is whether X-37B has relnav sensors and
software. I don't believe the current one does. Don't know if they're
developing such capability for a followon.

Bottom line is, anything's possible if they put the development work
(read: money) in.

But isn't the reality more likely that this will be launched on very
very high inclination orbits from Vandenberg? Seems likely to be the
more useful orbits for its, ahem, intended purpose... And would these be
too highly inclined for the ISS or about right?

Too highly inclined.

Not only software, but it would need the radar and docking mechanisms
in order to do it all
Which begs the question, why bother doing it anyways.

It seems to me it would open a huge political can of worms to have a
military spacecraft dock with a civilian space station.

On Sep 12, 3:46*pm, M wrote:
On Sep 12, 11:43*am, "Jorge R. Frank" wrote:





On 09/12/2010 12:55 PM, David Spain wrote:

Greg D. Moore (Strider) wrote:
Jorge R. Frank wrote:
On 09/11/2010 09:58 PM, David Spain wrote:
OK, gotcha, I made this up. :-D

But seriously, can anyone think of a legit scenario where this could
happen? Can the X37-B reach the ISS? Or are all its capabilities so
deeply classified no-one can say?
Wrong inclination, highly doubtful X-37B has enough plane change
capability.

I was presuming on a reflight mission.

Yes. Not the current one.

Then the limiting factor is whether X-37B has relnav sensors and
software. I don't believe the current one does. Don't know if they're
developing such capability for a followon.

Bottom line is, anything's possible if they put the development work
(read: money) in.

But isn't the reality more likely that this will be launched on very
very high inclination orbits from Vandenberg? Seems likely to be the
more useful orbits for its, ahem, intended purpose... And would these be
too highly inclined for the ISS or about right?

Too highly inclined.

Not only software, but it would need the radar and docking mechanisms
in order to do it all
Which begs the question, why bother doing it anyways.

It seems to me it would open a huge political can of worms to have a
military spacecraft dock with a civilian space station.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

well the shuttle originally did all military missions.....

On 9/12/2010 9:55 AM, David Spain wrote:

I was presuming on a reflight mission.


Yes. Not the current one.

Considering how well the recent scramjet and hypersonic glide vehicle
tests went, I wouldn't be to sure about a reflight till they get it
successfully back. ;-)
Although I doubt they would launch it into a similar orbit with the ISS,
I could certainly see it using the ISS as a target for experimental
optical and radar sensors in the cargo bay, as one of the missions a
spacecraft like this could do is inspection of other satellites
on-orbit, and having a object of known dimensions to check the sensor's
resolution on would be a asset
(when they launched the MOL mock-up into orbit on the Titan III, they
had painted its exterior with various sized stripes so they could image
it with ground-based cameras and see how good their resolution was.)

Pat