* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: X-37B/OTV

Blobrana · L

The U.S. military has launched an unmanned rocket carrying a new kind of space plane into a nine-month orbit, but exact details of the mission remain under wraps.
The 20-story Atlas rocket with a X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on its back took off Thursday night from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
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Blobrana · L

OTV 1 (USA 212)

TLE Data

Classified

Blobrana · L

The 45th Space Wing successfully launched a United Launch Alliance-built Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle from Space Launch Complex 41 at 7:52 p.m. (EDT) today.
The Atlas V rocket carried the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), making its first space flight. The X-37B will provide a flexible space test platform to conduct various experiments and allow satellite sensors, subsystems, components and associated technology to be efficiently transported to and from the space environment where it will need to function. A number of new technologies will also be tested on the OTV itself.
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Blobrana · L

A prototype spaceplane developed for the US military has been launched into orbit from Florida.
The X-37B, which has been likened to a scaled-down space shuttle, blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 0052 BST (1952 EDT).
The military vehicle is unpiloted and will carry out the first autonomous re-entry and landing in the history of the US space programme.
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Launches X-37B Spacecraft via Atlas V Rocket ULA - 22 April 2010