Tiny, robotic space shuttle to be launched into orbit in April
By Laura June 
posted March 15th 2010 12:53PM
posted March 15th 2010 12:53PM
A long-delayed project initiated by NASA and carried out by Boeing may finally get to see the light of cold, beautiful day according to reports from the US Air Force. The X-37, a small, robotic space plane is set to make its first unmanned trip into orbit in April. Conceived by NASA as an unmanned re-entry lifeboat for crew of the International Space Station, the X-37 reportedly has a cargo bay of just 7 x 4 feet, and it has apparently been shipped to Florida for its maiden voyage, where it will be mounted to an Atlas V rocket for its launch into space. There aren't any other details -- the people running the project are keeping everything pretty quiet, but the shuttle itself is reported to have said that it's putting itself "to the fullest possible use," adding that that "is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do."
"...unmanned re-entry lifeboat for crew of the [ISS]"...
last time I tried to put myself on an unmanned lifeboat... it became manned.
@rudernyou I think it ejects and saves itself. It's like a Bender for the ISS.
@rudernyou
This vehicle is a test bed to verify engineering for eventual development of a vehicle that will actually carry people. This vehicle does not carry people. Therefore it is unmanned.
@rudernyou
Ok, a bit confused
Are they launching the X-37 (Re-useable robotic spaceplane)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-37
or the X-38 (Crew Return Vehicle) (Space Station lifeboat)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-38
or the X-40 (X37 at 80% scale) (pictured)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-40
@kenjennings I work on the ISS program... I know exactly what this vehicle does... unfortunately, that's not what the article states. I was highlighting the discrepancy.
@rudernyou to kenjennings
oh,no he di'int!
oh yes...yes he did.
That's actually a Cardassian missile called "Dreadnought" speeding through space in the Delta Quadrant. B'Elanna Torres got hold of it and reprogrammed it to strike Cardassian territory. The Maquis launched the weapon and never heard from it again; it was thought to be destroyed. Voyager chances upon it here on the other side of the galaxy, and it is headed directly for a populated planet called Rakosa V. It must be stopped; millions of lives are at stake!!!!
@rudernyou Ah, yes. Reporting from The Register. It's written to be entertaining, not accurate.
I'd like to know the ISS community opinion (devoid of politics if possible) of what we should be using to retrieve astro/cosmonauts from the ISS in terms of safety and reliability? More soyuz-type vehicles, or a new lifting body platform like this?
If it's an unmanned lifeboat, what does it save? Equipment? Wall-E?
OR
Does it launch unmanned, and return to Earth manned?
The Wikipedia article says it's a test vehicle. But a test vehicle for the development of what? An unmanned lifeboat?
Kudos on the '2001: A Space Odyssey' reference.
@Diraan
Just make sure they don't need to teach it about phenomenology :-)
Hey, it's 2010. Aren't we supposed to be making contact or something . . . ?
Designing a unmanned re-entry lifeboat seems like a huge waste of time and money to me....
@tosvus: Remember that when you're stuck on the Space Hotel and a fire forces everyone to evacuate.
@Gregory Pius
You missed my point - the article makes it sound like a lifeboat that cannot take passengers... ("unmanned re-entry lifeboat")
On your note, I probably won't be able to afford going to a space hotel (if one exists) in my lifetime anyway :)
Besides, you're not permitted in there. It's restricted. You'll
be deactivated for sure!
June 11, 2010
Tiny robotic shuttle takes over the world.
@Lord Vader
Great one, I can see your superiority, even surpassing the effectiveness of Echelon in picking up these messages, from Galaxies far far Away, no less, is truly terrifying.
I'd live in it if I could be the first person to walk on Mars.
The CRV project was "scrapped".
THIS is something else.
Think remotely operated payload deployer.
If they actually break Russia's grip and build a viable CRV I will be very happy to see it happen.
The CRV prototype I saw being constructed at JSC in '97 showed a LOT of promise.
ins't 4x7 2D? where's the 3rd dim?
@ZivNYC
The 3rd to 11th dimensions are rolled into the first two.
@ZivNYC If the shell is any indication, I wouldn't be surprised if it's cylindrical, or octagonal at least, making the height the same as the width.
@Lord Vader
Oh! I've forgotten how much I hate space travel
if it's the X-37, then why does it say X-40A on the side of it?
@DrrtyMike
The X-37 was developed from the X-40A
So, i guess "tiny" gets a whole new meaning. I know that one cant fit in my hand, pocket or even bag. Not tiny at all, me thinks..
@hollowpoint
Tiny is relative. A planet the size of Mt Everest would be a tiny planet, but you don't consider Mt Everest tiny because it is larger than most other mountains.
where can I buy one?
So, again, a smaller variant of a design seen many times, thrust into orbit atop a huge rocket... Wasn't there an initiative to get AWAY from doing what's already been done repeatedly? I mean, with that cargo space, the Scaled Composites vehicle could almost just as easily launch a similar payload - without requiring the huge rocket and associated issues.
Why does NASA just keep going backwards of late, rather than pressing forward with new ideas?
@Vrmithrax: $$$
@tosvus
Suck-up. Maybe if he were Jeff Vader then it would be acceptable. Who is Lord Vader any ways?
Why does it have a two dimensional cargo bay? What good is that?
It's cute. Can't we just use this as the new space shuttle?
@lecti NASA would have to rehire all midgets. Sorry little people. The right stuff now has a requirement of being no more then 4' in height.
Actually.....you take that into consideration for how much it costs to launch x pounds. That isn't that crazy of an....yes. Sorry yes it is crazy.
@John Doe That's brilliant! Considering how much it costs to launch these suckers, and the dire financial situation for Nasa, maybe it DOES makes sense to hire lighter people :D
@Lord Vader
Do you really have cookies? Or is that just a lie spawned by the internetz?
Finally, NASA is getting there... where Buran was in 1989 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_(spacecraft))
@myudelson lol at how it was destroyed
What annoys me is that NASA isn't launching a shuttle with a skeleton crew and an overabundance of supplies in the cargo bay. Where most are going up to relieve the majority of the current ISS crew.
They could do a normal deorbit with a couple normal Soyuz capsule and leave the shuttle up there as a shelter \ lifeboat. I mean its not as if the current fleet is going to be doing anything other then collecting dust from here on out.
@John Doe
I think it would take some (read: lots of) work to the vehicle before being able to just leave the shuttle in space for an extended period of time. It was made to be powered on (fuel cells operating, computer running, etc.) for the duration of its stay in space. Unfortunately it is not as simple as an Apollo CM.