Tags: United Launch Alliance, Atlas V, Air Force, OTV
Publication: HuffingtonPost.com
Publication Date: 12/11/2012
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A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket blasts off with the U.S. Air Force’s third Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-3). This marks the 10th and last ULA launch this year and the 66th launch since it was formed nearly six years ago.
Image credit: ULA
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United Launch Alliance successfully launched U.S. Air Force’s X-37B, an unmanned Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), on its classified mission. The Atlas 5 heavy-lift rocket took off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station just after 1:00 p.m. EST.
This is X-37B’s second flight; during its first mission in 2010, the spacecraft orbited the Earth for seven months. It is one-fourth the size of NASA’s space shuttle and it can automatically land on a runway. This is the first time after the space shuttle, that a runway-landing vehicle can be reused.
Naturally, the Air Force is not releasing much information about this classified mission; even launch commentary ended 17 minutes into the flight followed by a news blackout.
Amateur satellite trackers have followed the previous OTV missions and reported that the spacecraft were placed in orbits more than 200 miles away with approximate 40-degree angles to the equator.
According to analysts, the spacecraft could be carrying specialized spy sensors; the mission would be to test these in order to use them in future satellites. These devices could be capable of mirroring or intercepting transmissions from terrorist training sites, which are typical tasks of spy satellites.
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