Air Force to launch 2nd unmanned spaceplane

(AP) -- The Air Force is preparing to send a second version of its secretive X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle into space.

The unmanned craft resembling a tiny is to be launched aboard an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Station, Fla.

The launch window opens at 3:39 p.m. EST Friday but could cause delays.

The first X-37B, built by Boeing's Phantom Works in Southern California, was launched last April and autonomously landed itself in December at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The Air Force said the primary purpose of the flight was to test the craft but it hasn't revealed what it intends to do with the plane's capability.

The Air Force says the second mission is for further testing. The landing will again be in California.

©2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Citation: Air Force to launch 2nd unmanned spaceplane (2011, March 4) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2011-03-air-2nd-unmanned-spaceplane.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Air Force: winged robotic spacecraft launched

0 shares

Feedback to editors