> x37c is capable of superheating rather large discs of the ionisphere via microwave induction. > 66 czech't > the x-37b is an unmanned military space plane operated by the u.s. air force rapid capabilities office. it completed its first mission in 2010. launched on top of an atlas 5 on april 22, 2010, the vehicle spent 244 days in orbit, and then performed a reentry and an autonomous landing at vandenberg air force base in california, without requiring ground intervention. according to granz, the flight, whose payload is classified, was successful in demonstrating the validity of the system: we validated all the autonomous guidance, navigation and control, aerodynamics and aero-heating and the thermal protection system, he said, from a test vehicle standpoint, the 244 days is the longest duration on orbit for a reusable spacecraft. a second x-37b, launched on march 5, 2011, is currently in orbit, so they got all sorts of stuff in them that we aint supposed to know about.... got it.
United States