The Secretive U.S. Space Plane China Is Racing to Compete With 

Boing Boom Tschak

Expending a full falcon heavy its probably going to at least a geosynchronous orbit. What orbit was the Chinese ship launched too?

I think the mission of the X-37B USSF-52 is to go to GEO orbit and closely observe the PLA's latest YG-41 optical reconnaissance satellite. This satellite has a huge deployable mirror, which will greatly enhance the PLA's perception capabilities. This is also the reason why the X-37B is carried on the larger Heavy Falcon. The previous launch plan was not enough to support such a high-orbit mission. At the same time, it had to be launched after the launch of the YG-41.

Making love not war?

I think materials testing in the Van Allen belts is pretty unlikely. The inner belt are dominated by mostly protons up to the 400MeV energy range, and the outer belt in GEO are more dominated by electrons. You can get pretty high fidelity tests on materials on earth by testing with electron/protons or even gamma rays, even accounting for synergistic effects, such as vacuum, thermal cycling, atomic oxygen, ext... This would be a pretty expensive for something that could be tested pretty easily on earth.

Thanks so much

The shuttle was not a mistake. A lot was learned from it. It's like saying the Mercury program was a mistake. But you are right that the X-37B is the most cost effective vehicle for what it does. But it doesn't do everything we need in or from space.

Without the Space Shuttle program, I doubt that X-37B could be operational in 2010.

The space shuttle was not a mistake. The mistake was how NASA used it and all the engineering failures. I could see the shuttle as a taxi to the moon. The bays could be fitted for passengers. One of NASA’s biggest mistakes

Appreciate it!

Why not just launch ordinary satellites then? These cost way more to make and especially when enemy can shoot down satellite, wouldn't it be financially too risky? Besides, you can shoot way more comm sat into orbit using the same rocket class then shooting just one of these

it is a reusable satelite and at mass production they will become cheaper @@johnlau8461

Most costs with space programs are labor costs and China/India labor cost are much lower than USA

@@johnl.7754 Or else the Chinese government just doesnt care about +70% of their population live for less than 280 USD per month.

Nah I go to space

Initial exploration, certainly. To fully exploit the resources available, man in space is a necessity.

Chinas space program is 100x better than US

Bruh. China already launched theirs before yours. They should be the one to lock up their plans.

hahahahaha no the germans weren't developing space ships. They were drawing pictures on paper.

@@Gnomezonbacon okay, smartie pants. The reason for developing the X20 was the same reason the Sangers recognized when they proposed it and the reason the Germans would have had if they were to have developed it.

hmm this comment will age like milk

Yep. Worry more about the United Snakes. Warmongers with extreme arrogance.

Yep. Worry more about the United Snakes. Warmongers with extreme arrogance.

American worry so much about others that they had forgotten to worry about themselves. 😂😂

The mission is secret. Not the plane. Shouldn't be that hard to understand

Star navigation was reinstituted at some higher learning academies when we finally realized that.

Long term human stasis for extended missions to Europa.

We can track satellites from the ground. This is for taking them out of orbit if anything.

geosynchronous orbits are 22,000 miles out, it is in a low earth orbit, but i guess anything is possible.

The vehicle itself is not secret. What they do with it is secret

I've been following the X-37B for years. That it exist is NOT SECRET. What it does and is capable of doing is TOP SECRET.

Yea were pretty good at rendezvous. But we wouldn't know the exact orbit of another country's millitary sat so that probably makes it a lot harder

@@nebble58 The USofA military tracks every scrap of anything in orbit 24/7. I'm quite sure other nations do the same thing. It doesn't take an Einstein to calculate an orbit down to the inch after enough points in the orbit.

If a thing WANTS to be intercepted only and os not actively manuvering

All satellites have some capability to maneuver. But I seriously doubt that the average satellite has the "intelligence" to see the plane coming and think, "I don't want that thing to capture me so I will start maneuvering to avoid it." It takes ground control to maneuver the thing around. AND, it's capability is very limited. Usually only enough to maintain a stable orbit. Not go chasing off all over the sky.

Only difference is ours work.

@@donnywilkes6417 what do you mean by that?

The X-37B has flown since 2010.

Results speak for themselves Cognizant. Apparently you aren't cognizant that the U.S. space program has been working for decades and is still years ahead of any country out there. If China has anything to brag about WRT their space program, you can be sure the world would know about it. Even you might have heard!

Now THAT's an achievement! 💪

Because America loves a boogie Man story. "There's always someone to get you" type of crap sold by the Neo-con run Government.😂

It challenges Whit e Supremacy, and the West becomes very jealous.

Well, they're a communist controlled country. If they have space dominance they may get military dominance. If they get that then they may attempt a war with the U.S. Currently, they're playing the silent war game. China and Russia are constantly probing all computers connected to the internet in the U.S. every few seconds. They're hacking our computers. They're attempting to purchase land in the U.S. They have spy's in the U.S. which is much easier to do since we have an open border in the south. We may purchase goods from them, but China and Russia are enemies to the U.S. and would love to take over the most powerful nation in the world. I don't know about you, but I know communist rule is the opposite of the freedoms we have in the U.S. The Chinese people in some areas are attempting to revolt. The Chinese government is attempting to wipe out any Muslims in their country. What do you like about China that you hope it's successful in dominance over the free World? (U.S. and it's allies).

The US copied the Russians who had the Buran space plane that was autonomous