Re: Secret X-37B Space Plane Spotted Again by Amateur Skyw...

[Guest guest]

Before the rockets became successful, the US had an advanced space plane program. Some of these were flying right at the edge of space some 60 miles up. The last flight of the official government space plane program may have actually entered space because the pilot said he gave it his all. However, he was officially ordered NOT to go into space because the honor of being the first man in space was to go to the preferred rocket program. If he did go into space, the record hasn't been released.

My point is that the US easily had the money to run both a space plane and rocket program. Had they done so, rockets could have been reserved for the heavy lifting and space planes for resupplying space stations, ferrying crews, launching light satellites, etc. As we're seeing here, the could also be sent unmanned carry automated experiments or for reconnaissance.

Of course, it is also possible the space plane research simply went black and have been continuing all along. That said, given how advanced it was back in the 1960's, you'd think they could be doing better than the X-37B, or at least be making wider use of them.

In a message dated 3/29/2011 1:36:38 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

Secret X-37B Space Plane Spotted Again by Amateur Skywatchers

[Guest guest]

Do you mean the X-15? He likely was also ordered not to go into

space because it was too risky. The X-15 did not have adequate

thermal protection to survive reentry. The shuttle was originally

going to be a space plane, but NASA was warned to stay strictly on a

tight research and development budget, or else. Thus, NASA went for

developmentally cheap.

Before the rockets became successful, the US had an

advanced space plane program. Some of these were

flying right at the edge of space some 60 miles up.

The last flight of the official government space plane

program may have actually entered space because the

pilot said he gave it his all. However, he was

officially ordered NOT to go into space because the

honor of being the first man in space was to go to the

preferred rocket program. If he did go into space, the

record hasn't been released.

My point is that the US easily had the money to run

both a space plane and rocket program. Had they done

so, rockets could have been reserved for the heavy

lifting and space planes for resupplying space

stations, ferrying crews, launching light satellites,

etc. As we're seeing here, the could also be sent

unmanned carry automated experiments or for

reconnaissance.

Of course, it is also possible the space plane

research simply went black and have been continuing

all along. That said, given how advanced it was back

in the 1960's, you'd think they could be doing better

than the X-37B, or at least be making wider use of

them.

In a message dated 3/29/2011 1:36:38 P.M. Eastern

Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

Secret X-37B Space

Plane Spotted Again by Amateur Skywatchers

[Guest guest]

A good number of the X15 pilots got their astronaut wings.

I'm not sure when this happened compared to the first rockets into orbit, and

the X15 was certainly not capable of orbital flight, but it did get above the

legal limit of space.

> Do you mean the X-15? He likely was also ordered not to go into space

> because it was too risky. The X-15 did not have adequate thermal

> protection to survive reentry. The shuttle was originally going to be a

> space plane, but NASA was warned to stay strictly on a tight research

> and development budget, or else. Thus, NASA went for developmentally cheap.

>

>

> >

> > Before the rockets became successful, the US had an advanced space

> > plane program. Some of these were flying right at the edge of space

> > some 60 miles up. The last flight of the official government space

> > plane program may have actually entered space because the pilot said

> > he gave it his all. However, he was officially ordered NOT to go into

> > space because the honor of being the first man in space was to go to

> > the preferred rocket program. If he did go into space, the record

> > hasn't been released.

> > My point is that the US easily had the money to run both a space plane

> > and rocket program. Had they done so, rockets could have been reserved

> > for the heavy lifting and space planes for resupplying space stations,

> > ferrying crews, launching light satellites, etc. As we're seeing here,

> > the could also be sent unmanned carry automated experiments or for

> > reconnaissance.

> > Of course, it is also possible the space plane research simply went

> > black and have been continuing all along. That said, given how

> > advanced it was back in the 1960's, you'd think they could be doing

> > better than the X-37B, or at least be making wider use of them.

> >

> > In a message dated 3/29/2011 1:36:38 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

> > no_reply writes:

> >

> > Secret X-37B Space Plane Spotted Again by Amateur Skywatchers

> >

> >

>

>

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[Guest guest]

That's interesting.

The X15 was only an experimental plane that indeed wasn't meant for serious space flight. The concept did show promise and was much cheaper than the rockets. Of course the rockets could lift more but there really was no reason other than lack of political lack of will to fund both programs fully.

A good number of the X15 pilots got their astronaut wings.I'm not sure when this happened compared to the first rockets into orbit, andthe X15 was certainly not capable of orbital flight, but it did get above thelegal limit of space.

[Guest guest]

The plane that won the Ansari X-prize didn't have heat shielding either. It was designed so it didn't need it. Again however, like the X15, it wasn't designed to go into LEO, just to get barely into space.

The shuttle could have been something really good if they had left it small. Instead, the committees got hold of it and we ended up with something far larger. It was intended to be cheaper and faster than in preparation then disposable rockets. It turned out the shuttle cost much more than disposables and had much slower turn around than predicted. Then again, there were supposed to be 20 or so shuttles built instead of just 4 or 5.

Do you mean the X-15? He likely was also ordered not to go into space because it was too risky. The X-15 did not have adequate thermal protection to survive reentry. The shuttle was originally going to be a space plane, but NASA was warned to stay strictly on a tight research and development budget, or else. Thus, NASA went for developmentally cheap.