Winston
Lorenzo von Matterhorn
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2009
- Messages
- 9,560
- Reaction score
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Black ops and the shuttle (part 1)
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3172/1
Note the bit on the (never accomplished) HEXAGON servicing missions. This adds some credence to my speculation about one of the potential uses for the X-37B or later reusable spacecraft - on-orbit servicing and refueling, the former via telepresence and the latter possibly automatic, of multi-billion dollar spysats. However, considering the apparent lifespan of current spysats (that reach orbit) it could be that they need to be replaced by new spysats with more advanced technology instead of being refueled although modular design might make significant upgrades possible without replacing the entire spysat.
I clued in Tyler Rogoway on the likelihood that a facility at Vandenberg is perhaps being prepped for X-37B prep and recovery for the very high inclination orbits which would be required for most LEO recon of foreign spysats, servicing, or refueling our spysats missions, testing of components for high inclination spysat missions, or quick reaction surface recon missions. He thought it was being prepared solely for stealth drone use:
Exclusive: Uniquely Configured RQ-170 Stealth Spy Drone Appears At Vandenberg AFB
by Tyler Rogoway
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo... stealth-spy-drone-appears-at- vandenberg-afb
"To the southwest, the old Orbiter Processing Facility that was built to support the failed military Space Shuttle program and its co-located SLC-6 launch complex is connected to the runway via a long taxiway. It is unknown what this facility is used for today, but it appears to feature high security and is still active, judging from satellite photos."
I pointed this out to him:
Perhaps they are planning to launch and recover the X-37B to and from polar orbits and will use the Orbiter Processing Facility at Vandenberg for that? One of the useful function's I'd suspect the X-37B or future craft like it would be telepresence refueling of spysats in polar orbit, sats which change their orbits to facilitate the observation of high priority ground targets. Also, telepresence repair of billion dollar plus satellites designed for such could be possible and the inspection (or worse) of the spysats of adversaries. Current launches from KSC can handle non-polar and geostationary sats.
Boeing to Use Former Space Shuttle Hangar for Secret Space Plane
January 6, 2014
https://www.space.com/24168-secret-x37b-space-plane-boeing-hangar.html
"A former NASA space shuttle hangar will serve as the new home and servicing facility for a fleet of secretive military space planes. "The Boeing Company announced on Friday (Jan. 3) it will begin converting Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to support the U.S. Air Force X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV). Built by Boeing's Phantom Works, the winged X-37B space plane resembles in some ways a smaller version of NASA's shuttle with a 15-foot (4.5 m.) wingspan.
Black ops and the shuttle (part 2): Reconnaissance missions in the space shuttle, from WASP to ZEUS
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3302/1
Black ops and the shuttle (part 3-1): Recovering spent HEXAGON reconnaissance satellites with the space shuttle
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3390/1
Black ops and the shuttle (part 3-2): The HEXAGON ghost haunting the desert storm
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3394/1
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3172/1
Note the bit on the (never accomplished) HEXAGON servicing missions. This adds some credence to my speculation about one of the potential uses for the X-37B or later reusable spacecraft - on-orbit servicing and refueling, the former via telepresence and the latter possibly automatic, of multi-billion dollar spysats. However, considering the apparent lifespan of current spysats (that reach orbit) it could be that they need to be replaced by new spysats with more advanced technology instead of being refueled although modular design might make significant upgrades possible without replacing the entire spysat.
I clued in Tyler Rogoway on the likelihood that a facility at Vandenberg is perhaps being prepped for X-37B prep and recovery for the very high inclination orbits which would be required for most LEO recon of foreign spysats, servicing, or refueling our spysats missions, testing of components for high inclination spysat missions, or quick reaction surface recon missions. He thought it was being prepared solely for stealth drone use:
Exclusive: Uniquely Configured RQ-170 Stealth Spy Drone Appears At Vandenberg AFB
by Tyler Rogoway
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo... stealth-spy-drone-appears-at- vandenberg-afb
"To the southwest, the old Orbiter Processing Facility that was built to support the failed military Space Shuttle program and its co-located SLC-6 launch complex is connected to the runway via a long taxiway. It is unknown what this facility is used for today, but it appears to feature high security and is still active, judging from satellite photos."
I pointed this out to him:
Perhaps they are planning to launch and recover the X-37B to and from polar orbits and will use the Orbiter Processing Facility at Vandenberg for that? One of the useful function's I'd suspect the X-37B or future craft like it would be telepresence refueling of spysats in polar orbit, sats which change their orbits to facilitate the observation of high priority ground targets. Also, telepresence repair of billion dollar plus satellites designed for such could be possible and the inspection (or worse) of the spysats of adversaries. Current launches from KSC can handle non-polar and geostationary sats.
Boeing to Use Former Space Shuttle Hangar for Secret Space Plane
January 6, 2014
https://www.space.com/24168-secret-x37b-space-plane-boeing-hangar.html
"A former NASA space shuttle hangar will serve as the new home and servicing facility for a fleet of secretive military space planes. "The Boeing Company announced on Friday (Jan. 3) it will begin converting Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to support the U.S. Air Force X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV). Built by Boeing's Phantom Works, the winged X-37B space plane resembles in some ways a smaller version of NASA's shuttle with a 15-foot (4.5 m.) wingspan.
Black ops and the shuttle (part 2): Reconnaissance missions in the space shuttle, from WASP to ZEUS
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3302/1
Black ops and the shuttle (part 3-1): Recovering spent HEXAGON reconnaissance satellites with the space shuttle
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3390/1
Black ops and the shuttle (part 3-2): The HEXAGON ghost haunting the desert storm
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3394/1