With the launch of the world’s first unmanned space shuttle, the U.S. Air Force has boldly entered a new frontier in military aviation.
Miniature Space Shuttle
The U.S. Air Force launched the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle into space on April 22, 2010. The X-37B is a miniature space shuttle that is unmanned. The aircraft is operated using computers and a ground control team based at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in Colorado. The X-37B space shuttle was launched into space using an Atlas rocket.
X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle was designed by Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. U.S. Air Force officials have said that the unmanned space shuttle has been in development since the late 1990s, and that the aircraft was completed at Boeing’s high-tech research lab known as “Phantom Works.” NASA had started the project, which the U.S. Air Force later took over and developed.
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is similar in appearance to a conventional space shuttle. It contains an almost identical payload bay that holds equipment and experiments. However, the X-37B is smaller than a standard space shuttle at 29 feet long and with a 15 foot wingspan. Average sized space shuttles are 122 feet long and have a 78 foot wingspan.
Mission Classified
U.S. defense officials have been guarded about the exact purpose of the X-37B aircraft’s mission into space. After the launch, Air Force officials stated that the unmanned space shuttle is being used to test new equipment and materials in zero gravity environments.
The Air Force has also said that they are trying to develop a space shuttle that can be sent into space multiple times with quick turn around times. It currently takes NASA at least four months to prepare a shuttle for space. Air Force officials have said they want space shuttles to operate in space for longer periods of time. They also said that they hope to prepare future space shuttles for launch within days rather than months.
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is currently able to remain in space for up to nine months. That is much longer than conventional space shuttles, which typically stay in orbit for two weeks. Once its mission is completed, the X-37B will land at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Controversy and Concerns
The launch of an unmanned space shuttle into orbit has drawn criticism from anti-military groups who fear that the aircraft contains weapons. Some media reports speculated that the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle could be the first step towards placing weapons into space.
Some news reports compared the X-37B to the Strategic Defense Initiative - dubbed "Star Wars" – that was developed in the 1980s by then President Ronald Reagan. That project, which sought to use space-based weapons systems to protect the U.S. from nuclear attack, was eventually abandoned.
Some foreign governments such as China and Russia have voiced concerns about the X-37B space shuttle. These countries – which are competitors of the U.S. – have cautioned against militarizing space. The U.S. Air Force has said that if the current flight of the X-37B is successful, they plan to launch a second test flight in 2011.