Published video of space plane X-37B with open cargo hold

Video footage of a secret US Air Force X-37B orbital plane opening the cargo bay doors has surfaced online. It shows a 9-meter spacecraft with integrated solar panels.

The recording shows the X-37B with its doors open and a solar panel that fits freely inside the compartment, starting to unfold.

It is not entirely clear when the clip was filmed, but it was shown by Boeing at an annual Air Force Association event.

Social media user DutchSpace, claiming on his profile that he works for the European Space Agency, took notice of the video and processed it for a better viewing experience. You can see that the cargo hold of an orbiting aircraft resembles the baggage hold of a large pickup truck.

I cropped the Boeing video a bit to show the X-37B deployment sequence a bit better, I hope @BoeingSpace releases the full video :) # X37B pic.twitter.com/jMrj7HZWZS

- DutchSpace (@DutchSpace) September 15, 2020

Although this highly maneuverable spacecraft has been in orbit for a decade, there is not much information about it. It is widely believed that the bulk of its experimental missions are reconnaissance and communications tasks. For years, rumors have circulated that the X-37B was used to deliver small vehicles into orbit, test anti-satellite technology and perform other functions.

The plane is now on its sixth mission. The previous one lasted 780 days.

Comments

[Mavrikiy]

Who is this? A truck to collect foreign companions?

[Lipchanin]

Likely

[Tonpengof]

Quote: Lipchanin

Likely

No, any military satellite has a self-detonation function.

[APASUS]

Quote: Mavrikiy

Who is this? A truck to collect foreign companions?

Most likely exploration and development of new technologies

[Ervin]

Is this X-37B of the US Air Force, over the decades of operation, has not been able to get a good look and understand what it is doing there in space orbit?

[Lipchanin]

Quote: Ervin

never got a good look at

Where to consider? It is so classified that a limited number of people have access to it.

[dragy52rus]

and do not say, in space the circle of faces is limited. )))

[Ervin]

So I say - was it really not possible to view this X-37B or with a scanning telescope? After all, it is not necessary to consider only the stars and planets, you can apply the technique and on a real matter, so that there are fewer secrets.

[Mikhail3]

It is 9m long. And it has no constant orbit. And there is such a place ... Space is called. The main difference between space and your desk is that space is very, well, just very large. Without a known orbit, it cannot be considered.

[Lipchanin]

They want to see his appearance, although he has already been shown more than once

[dragy52rus]

to consider and track is not a problem, but to find out what exactly he did is more difficult.

[Lipchanin]

Quote: Ervin

So I say - was it really not possible to view this X-37B or with a scanning telescope?

What will he scan?
Will he scan his computer?
Well, see what is inside, and then? Will the telescope tell you how and what works? What tasks does it perform?

[Lipchanin]

Quote: dragy52rus

and do not say, in space the circle of faces is limited. )))

Consider in space?
Well, what can you see besides the appearance? So after landing it was shown

[Piramidon]

Quote: Lipchanin

It is so classified that a limited number of people have access to it.

Is there a CIA and NSA cordon in orbit around him?

[snake]

Quote: Lipchanin

Where to consider? It is so classified that a limited number of people have access to it.

I thought you could see everything from the sofa ...

[Lipchanin]

Quote: Ervin

Is this X-37B of the US Air Force, over the decades of operation, it was not possible to get a good look

Look at least look around

[betta]

Not clear where the payload is placed to put something in space? It looks like a place for panels only.

[Reviews]

The panel is thin. There is enough space under it. Now satellites are much more compact than 20-40 years ago.

[Lipchanin]

Quote: Avis

Now satellites are much more compact than 20-40 years ago.

When "Salute 7" died, the Americans were going to push it on their "Shuttle". It just fit into the cargo hold

[Reviews]

Quote: Lipchanin

When "Salute 7" died, the Americans were going to push it on their "Shuttle".

Do not repeat nonsense after all sorts of degenerates.

[sifgame]

rent revised person)

[Reviews]

Quote: sifgame

rent revised person)

Uh-huh.

[Lipchanin]

Quote: Avis

Do not repeat nonsense after all sorts of degenerates.

This is not nonsense, this is a fact
No wonder they the French who flew on the "Salute" at the last moment introduced into the crew

[Reviews]

Quote: Lipchanin

Quote: Avis

Do not repeat nonsense after all sorts of degenerates.

This is not nonsense, this is a fact
No wonder they the French who flew on the "Salute" at the last moment introduced into the crew

Clear. Autumn ... Okay, I will not interfere.

[snake]

Quote: Avis

Clear. Autumn ... Okay, I will not interfere.

This "specialist" yesterday confused Venus with Mars. What do you want from him?

[Reviews]

Heh ... :)))

[Ervin]

Yes, it was. A famous story in its time. Our people even shot a film based on real events: "Salute-7"



So there they were openly going to shoot down Salyut-7, even at the cost of the fact that for 20-30 years space will be closed due to nuclear fragments. I advise you to watch the film, the film was shot very brightly and well.

And here is a documentary from Roscosmos:

[Reviews]

Quote: Ervin

Yes, it was.
So there they were openly going to shoot down Salyut-7, even at the cost of the fact that for 20-30 years space will be closed due to nuclear fragments. I advise you to watch the film, the film was shot very brightly and well.

Autumn has begun.

[rotmistr60]

X-37B with open cargo hold

Something tells if a photograph appeared with an open cargo compartment hatch, then the most important thing is hidden much deeper (not in the compartment).

[aristok]

You can't call it an airplane.
He himself does not fly.
It is a wing-gliding spacecraft.

[Alien From]

For Roscosmos, these trucks are so small to pick in their pockets ...

[zwlad]

A very interesting machine. It would be nice for us to revive our projects.

[Piramidon]

Quote: zwlad

It would be nice for us to revive our projects

Some kind of movement is taking place.

Reusable "Argo"
The state corporation "Roscosmos" intends to sign an agreement with the private company MTKS on cooperation in the creation of a reusable transport spacecraft. This information is contained in the minutes of the August meeting at Roscosmos (RBC has a copy). Now Russia does not have reusable cargo spaceships.
The projected spacecraft, launched using a launch vehicle, will be capable of delivering a payload weighing up to 2 tons into orbit and then returning a cargo weighing up to 1 tonne to Earth. on a retractable shock-absorbed shield extending at a height of 250 m.

Read more at RBC:
https://www.rbc.ru/society/30/09/2019/5d6e4c399a794779cf182161

[Tsoy]

Argo is in the wrong steppe. This is a kk type of progress. The capsule is essentially. Alya dragon. Nothing to do with this unit.

[Recon]

No matter how everyone here scoffs, the device is cool. And we do not have this, and is not expected.

[slipped]

Quote: Recon

And we do not have this, and is not expected.

Such a device, and even created using outdated technologies, is simply not in demand in our country. If our MO needed it, then we have such an apparatus long ago, since all the technologies are available. It is much cheaper and more pragmatic to launch targeted automated systems without returning them.

[Avior]

No need to fly to deliver 780 days to orbit