US Boeing X-37 OTV

By Crusader1307

The US Boeing X-37 Orbital Test Vehicle, is a non-piloted (Robotic) Earth Orbital Spacecraft, which was first developed in 2006 – for The US Air Force. The bulk of The X-37s operational data and purpose was (and to some degree still is) – seen as ''Classified''. The X-37 was perceived as the Military equivalent of the aging and replaced Space Shuttle Orbital Vehicle. (9) Versions have been developed and refined, Much as it's Shuttle ''relative'', The X-37 is launched from Earth into Orbit via a Rocket Booster (Solid/Liquid) System. Upon separation and inclusion into sub-Orbital Space, Ground Control Human ''Pilots'' can control (and later land) The X-37 very much the same way a conventional Aircraft would be. Future plans to develop The Class into a ''Manned'' or Piloted Version, are in development. The X-37 has been used to deploy Satellite and related Military Assets only. As of 2019, with the establishment of The United States Space Force, The X-37 has become the official Support and Deployment Vehicle of that Armed Service. The current Model is 30-feet in length with a fixed Wing assembly of 15-feet. Overall weight before payload is roughly 11,000-lbs. Overall Glide and Free-Flight control power is from Lithium-Ion Powered Batteries. Rated Orbital Speed is over 17,000-mph. The X-37 can remain in Low Orbital space for roughly 780-days.