The Black Vault

X-37B Mission Success
Ok, I'm happier with my money being spent on a project that is a success than one that is a failure, but, am I the only one who see's a problem here? Why is the replacement for the space shuttle a secret? I guess that's what happens when you don't have a Soviet Union for competition. Now the government can spend your money without you knowing anything about it. They don't have to tell you anything. They can setup a base on the Moon and you won't know. They can bankrupt you for a hundred years and you won't know why. And isn't that where we are now?

I have a serious problem with that. Why is this project a secret? I think it's a valid question.

Its not a replacement vehicle for the shuttle. Its a secret program vehicle that has some features that resemble a shuttle orbiter. The X-33 was to be a replacement, but was cancelled due to unrepairable defects in the fuel tanks. The moon mission was changed to plan for mars missions. Thei have high hopes for the space x private ventures, after last weeks launch and docking with the space station. I'm very skeptical that as a first launch record only, they are a very long ways away from dependable manned flight missions. My company has a 50 year history and experience in liquid fueled rockets, and are reviving some of the apollo programs engines, as well as other RS68 delta rockets, and possible shuttle engine vehicles. the X-37 was built by Boeing and launched with Rocketdyne RS 68 engines.

CodeBlackv2,

I guess that's what happens when you don't have a Soviet Union for competition.

The Soviet Union was never competition. They were made to appear to be competition in the news media such that our own government could control us.

It is America which gave the Soviets advanced Inertial Navigation manufacturing equipment necessary for space travel. It is America which gave the Soviets advanced computer technology to take advantage of the INS equipment.

See ...

Natioinal Suicide
Military Aid to the Soviet Union

by

Anthony Sutton.

Bryant Chuck and Grinder Company..miniature ball bearing manufacturing for INS equipment. Sent to the Soviet Union with the approval of the US State Department. Non Strategic Materials and equipment.

The United States has been the most ardent supporter of the Soviet Union...throughout their history...from the October Revolution unto today.

The Soviets had so much equipment which looked like ours...unto today.

And so too...today...do the Chinese.

Is there a pattern going on here?? Think it through.

For now...someone does not want this space technology leaking to the Chinese and Russians.

Eventually...politics will hijack the program and the tech will filter out to these other countries. Just as it did with some of our nuclear weapons designs.

Thanks,
Orangetom

Uh, I don't know where you got that but I can tell you that the Soviets thought they were competition. Inertial Navigation Systems were Top Secret even in the late 80's and I know that from personal experience, so I doubt it was given to the Soviets.

And much of the technology for space has already leaked to the Chinese, if by "leaked" you mean stolen. The Chinese Army tried to steal from a company I used to work for. We told them to get lost. They wanted our software and when we asked what they were going to use it for they told us, "to use it in our missiles"! You know, the ones they point at the US. What!? I don't think so Mr. Nguyen. They just smirked and acted like they could steal it anyway.

However, some foreign companies who were supposed to be our allies did sell American technology to the Soviets, companies like Toshiba.

And, just yesterday there was a news story about how the Chinese are worried about the X-37B. Good.

The best way to describe the X-37B, The fact IMHO is this thing is really just a small unmanned multirole starfighter/payload delivery system, Unmanned Combat Oribital Vehicle (UCOV). It can deliver small satellites to orbit, throw up a bunch of anti-sat ball bearings into orbit paths, or even deliver war heads to space-borne or surface targets, someday it might even carry a gun of some sort or even put a few space marines onto space station on a Spec-Op. I suspect most of the time tese will be up in the air acting as temporary sat-comms for Spec-ops and may carry a high-yield explosive re-entry warhead in case the team needs immediate space support bombing that cannot be delivered without violating sovereign airspace and risking more lives.