Russia is Building its Own Military Space Plane to Match the Mysterious X-37B
47 replies, posted
[QUOTE]In what some are calling a second iteration of the space race, it seems the Russians have found a “Sputnik moment” of their own. In the wake of the recent successful wrap-up of the X-37B’s first orbital mission—a 220-day affair that reportedly saw the Air Force’s mysterious unmanned space plane complete a range of on-orbit maneuvers and tests that the U.S.A.F. isn’t talking about—the head of Russia’s military space command has said his country is building a space plane of its own.
The head of Russia’s armed forces division in charge of military space operations, Oleg Ostapenko, said the Russians have already drawn up a design similar to the X-37 design, but stopped short of providing any hard details. And why should he? The X-37B has been kept under serious wraps; we know that it launched, that it orbited for 220 days, and that it successfully came home. Outside of that, only the mission handlers and engineers involved in the program know what the plane did while in orbit, or what it might be asked to do once it—or something like it—is fully operational.
The admission that Russian space researchers are actively pursuing their own mission-capable, reusable space plane suggests that much as Americans were prompted to pour vast resources and effort into its space program after Sputnik’s launch in 1957, Russians see an important orbital technology edge being lost to the U.S. in the the successful launch of the X-37s.
That’s understandable. The X-37, like the Space Shuttles it shares a common heritage with, has an undeniable military aspect to it. A reusable space plane can provide important civilian and scientific space capabilities, but it can also be used to rapidly launch small military satellite arrays, put munitions into orbit, or disable enemy satellites.
The X-37B is 30 feet long, has a 15-foot wingspan, and possesses a cargo bay about the size of a pickup truck bed, and the Russian “X-37ski” (as Danger Room has termed it) would likely boast roughly similar specs. But we’re probably several years from seeing a Russian clone in orbit. The X-37 design has been in the works since the late 1990s, and a second launch is already planned for early March (a second X-37B, the so-called OTV 2, will undertake this second mission; OTV 1 is slated to fly again later this year). So the U.S. has a comfortable head start.
Then again, a dozen years after the Soviets beat the Americans into orbit a U.S. flag was planted on the moon. Let the new space race begin.
[img]http://www.popsci.com/files/imagecache/article_image_large/articles/JP-SECRET-popup.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
Source: [url]http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-02/russia-building-its-own-military-space-plane-match-mysterious-x-37b[/url]
Why does it feel like the space race/cold war all over again, but with china/ russia/ USA?
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i am getting that feeling.....love how history tends to repeat itself.
probably explode while exiting the atmosphere 9/10 times
[QUOTE=Douchebags;27834582]Why does it feel like the space race/cold war all over again, but with china/ russia/ USA?
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i am getting that feeling.....love how history tends to repeat itself.[/QUOTE]
The Space Race meant that we had a lot of amazing technology.
[QUOTE=Douchebags;27834582]Why does it feel like the space race/cold war all over again, but with china/ russia/ USA?
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i am getting that feeling.....love how history tends to repeat itself.[/QUOTE]
This would be a great thing for space travel and exploration.
[QUOTE=Douchebags;27834582]Why does it feel like the space race/cold war all over again, but with china/ russia/ USA?
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i am getting that feeling.....love how history tends to repeat itself.[/QUOTE]
If anything it will speed up space technology like on the first Space Race.
History will always repeats itself for the human race. Humans simply need competition to evolve technologically.
Dem Russians :argh:
A new space race would be a terrible idea considering Climate Change, 2012 world blowing up, etc. What a waste of ozone layer.
On the other hand it'll be a final 'screw you' to the Earth before we are wiped out.
[QUOTE=Coffee;27834639]The Space Race meant that we had a lot of amazing technology.[/QUOTE]
The benefits of healthy competition :buddy:
[QUOTE=RubberFruit;27834881]Dem Russians :argh:
A new space race would be a terrible idea considering [b]Climate Change, 2012 world blowing up, etc. What a waste of ozone layer.[/b]
On the other hand it'll be a final 'screw you' to the Earth before we are wiped out.[/QUOTE]
Haha, what?
Global warming is happening, but it's not caused by humans.
[QUOTE=FalconKrunch;27835004]Haha, what?
Global warming is happening, but it's not caused by humans.[/QUOTE]
Agh, you got me. :smith:
[QUOTE=FalconKrunch;27835004]Haha, what?
Global warming is happening, but it's not caused by humans.[/QUOTE]
It's not "caused" by humans but we sure aren't helping the situation.
Space race to mars please.
Without the cold war of course.
[QUOTE=Kazumi;27835076]Space race to mars please.
Without the cold war of course.[/QUOTE]
Sorry, Cold War comes with the Mars package.
[editline]3rd February 2011[/editline]
He was the God of War, you know.
Kazumi is right, less orbital crap and just get it done. MAN ON MARS! In fact getting the first man on mars before Russia just like the last space race (but with the moon obviously) will really make vodka sales skyrocket
[QUOTE=Explosions;27835072]It's not "caused" by humans but we sure aren't helping the situation.[/QUOTE]
There is nothing we can really do any way.
[QUOTE=Explosions;27835072]It's not "caused" by humans[/QUOTE]
Yes it is.
[img]http://infobeautiful2.s3.amazonaws.com/climate_consensus_550_3.gif[/img]
[QUOTE=TH89;27835184]Yes it is.
[img_thumb]http://infobeautiful2.s3.amazonaws.com/climate_consensus_550_3.gif[/img_thumb][/QUOTE]
huh
I'm terrible at finding information about global warming. One minute I'm hearing about one thing and the next I learn something completely contradictory. I'll just have to take you word then.
Cold War 2
Here's the source of that image:
[url]http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2009/climate-change-a-consensus-among-scientists/[/url]
And here's another relevant article:
[url]http://www.sciencemag.org/content/306/5702/1686.full[/url]
I'll believe it when I see it, at least 90% of spacecraft people announce to be building never make it off paper.
[QUOTE=Explosions;27835241]huh
I'm terrible at finding information about global warming. One minute I'm hearing about one thing and the next I learn something completely contradictory. I'll just have to take you word then.[/QUOTE]
A lot of Facepunchers, raised on that South Park "both sides are wrong, the answer is in the middle!" political dogma have concocted this idea that "global warming is a cycle but humans are speeding it up." This is totally wrong. There are a number of climate cycles that the earth experiences, but most of them take place over thousands of years and are caused by [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milankovitch_cycles]orbital patterns[/url] and other things we have no control over, so we couldn't "speed them up" even if we wanted to. The warming trend we are currently experiencing cannot be explained by any naturally occurring cycle. It CAN be explained by CO2 emissions.
If someone says global warming is a cycle, ask them which cycle? What is the cycle caused and what is it caused by?
[QUOTE=TH89;27835415]A lot of Facepunchers, raised on that South Park "both sides are wrong, the answer is in the middle!" political dogma have concocted this idea that "global warming is a cycle but humans are speeding it up." This is totally wrong. There are a number of climate cycles that the earth experiences, but most of them take place over thousands of years and are caused by [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milankovitch_cycles]orbital patterns[/url] and other things we have no control over, so we couldn't "speed them up" even if we wanted to. The warming trend we are currently experiencing cannot be explained by any naturally occurring cycle. It CAN be explained by CO2 emissions.
If someone says global warming is a cycle, ask them which cycle? What is the cycle caused and what is it caused by?[/QUOTE]
Okay then, I was wrong. I never watch southpark though.
[QUOTE=Anteep2;27834608]probably explode while exiting the atmosphere 9/10 times[/QUOTE]
Yes, because the commies are so bad at going in to space.
Not to mention that Sputnik was the first artificial satellite in orbit.
Not to mention that Yuri Gagarin was the first person in space.
Also not to mention that NASA still uses the Soyuz spacecraft for ferrying Astronauts back-and-forth from the International Spacestation.
herp derp lets make Russia jokes herpa derp
[QUOTE=Douchebags;27834582]Why does it feel like the space race/cold war all over again, but with china/ russia/ USA?
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i am getting that feeling.....love how history tends to repeat itself.[/QUOTE]
As long as there's no war, what's wrong with us having a little technological competition? It benefits the world in the end, just as the first space race did.
[QUOTE=Gubru;27835532]Yes, because the commies are so bad at going in to space.
Not to mention that Sputnik was the first artificial satellite in orbit.
Not to mention that Yuri Gagarin was the first person in space.
Also not to mention that NASA still uses the Soyuz spacecraft for ferrying Astronauts back-and-forth from the International Spacestation.
herp derp lets make Russia jokes herpa derp[/QUOTE]
This. Russia makes simple yet amazing tech. AK47 is still better and cheaper than most rifles
Guys, this isn't a cold war and this isn't the fall of anyone.
This is just the greatness of science and space exploration.
Stop being silly conspiracy theorists and thank that we have people who have a bigger budget to make it to space.With all this we would colonize Mars and experience the event of a life time.
P.S
Americans aren't the only ones with a passport to space.
[QUOTE=Explosions;27834821]This would be a great thing for space travel and exploration.[/QUOTE]
thought you didn't care about space
[QUOTE=Turnips5;27836212]thought you didn't care about space[/QUOTE]
No, I care about space. It's just that half of Facepunch has some delusion that humanity is going to become Star Wars and find millions of aliens and colonize planets and space fighters and all that all within their lifetime.
[QUOTE=Explosions;27836234]No, I care about space. It's just that half of Facepunch has some delusion that humanity is going to become Star Wars and find millions of aliens and colonize planets and space fighters and all that all within their lifetime.[/QUOTE]
:(
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