What is the X-37 for?

[TheBedla]

Hi all. I would expect this would have come up already, as the X-37 is sort of old news already, but could not find any threads on it.

It's not just for transpoting stuff to orbit, as it would not need reentry capabilities.

It's not just for transporting people to orbit, as a conventional capsule would be sufficient and probably cheaper. And it would not be so secretive, and not run by the USAF.

If it's for rapid deployment of something anywhere on Earth (which is probable), what would it be? Munitions payoad wouldn't need a reusable vehicle, troop deployment probably not (as it requires a paved landing strip)...

And I'm running out of ideas

So, what is it good for (♫♪uh-huh yeah!♫♪)?

I know it's classified, but let's speculate!

[falofonos]

Spy sats.

Hypersonic kinetic kill weapons.

[SargeRho]

Obviously it's a space fighter, fighting Goa'uld motherships. Probably Lucian Alliance by now.

On a more serious note, it's probably just a prototype to develop more economic spaceplanes. In the end maybe even as a sort of drop pod. The X-37C is supposed to be big enough to carry people.

[TheBedla]

Spy sats.

Hypersonic kinetic kill weapons.

Why spy sats? What new capability would a shuttle bring over a conventionally launched satellite?

Rods of god would probably make sense, you would need the ability to adjust orbit before launching the missile and the ability to stay in space for a long time (which they seem to be testing now).

[SargeRho]

I think the Air Force knows full well that Space is at some point going to become a battlefield. Seeing how the US Military likes to have an arms race against a fictional equally powerful enemy, it wouldn't be a surprise.

[Simon Ross]

Only really makes any sense as a people transport.

Other then that there are far cheaper options to do anything else

[TheBedla]

Only really makes any sense as a people transport.

Other then that there are far cheaper options to do anything else

Delivering six people to a paved landing strip in about an hour (just eyeballing here)? I'm not really sure why you would need it at all - you could get to more locations (no strip needed) and probably for less money with just a capsule, if you needed it, and not worry about recovery and capture of technology. I just don't get how it would be economical and to what purpose.

[John Crichton]

Super secret NASA/USAF "CIS" (cats in space) program:

The initial NASA prototype (below) was considered "unsatisfactory" by the government which is why the program was moved over to the USAF.

[Nibb31]

Only really makes any sense as a people transport.

- Too small.

- No reason for loitering-on-orbit capability and orbital manoeuvering.

- Orbital re-entry makes it an easy target.

Spy sats.

- Too small for advanced optics.

- No reason to bring a spy sat back from orbit.

Hypersonic kinetic kill weapons.

- Too small.

- No reason to bring dumb kinetic weapons back from orbit.

Its payload bay is smaller than your average refrigerator.

My guess is that it's a development platform for exposing future satellite hardware and new materials to an orbital environment. Whatever is tested on the X-37 can be exposed to vacuum, radiation, and thermal conditions for long periods and retrieved for analysis.

It might also be used to test software, which would explain the orbital manoeuvers.

Another use would be for orbital manufacturing of some very valuable high-tech materials. For example, it could be used to grow new cristals in microgravity for later use in weapon or observation systems.

Edited March 4, 2014 by Nibb31

[Kilmeister]

Only thing I can think of that it is just an experimental vehicle which they are testing new technology with. But why would they keep it in orbit so long unless they are running material tests inside as it's payload. Then I thought, that might be a practical application for it. It could be profitable to sell the ability to run experiments in LEO, and be able to deliver an intact payload back to earth. Probably for much cheaper and easier than utilizing the ISS. As well as being able to fly on a custom schedule and not depending on the ISS resupply operations Why this would be kept classified though, is a mystery to me.

[Kerbart]

Science missions. Of course they can radio back the results of the experiments, but that only gets them 40% of the science.

[Red Iron Crown]

The Wiki article says:

As part of its mission goals, the X-37 was designed to rendezvous with friendly satellites to refuel them, or to replace failed solar arrays using a robotic arm. Its payload could also support Space Control (Defensive Counter-Space, Offensive Counter-Space), Force Enhancement and Force Application systems. An early requirement for the spacecraft called for a delta-v of 7,000 mph (3.1 km/s) to change its orbit.

Reading between the lines a bit, I think it's a satellite killer, possibly able to capture a satellite and return it to Earth for analysis.

[Everten P.]

Possibly a small high-class orbiter I mean sure the cargo bay is that small but that could fit one or two EVA suits. I am sure a rich person wouldn't mind paying a sum of money to go to space. P.S. got the what is it good for joke hilarious.

[jfull]

Obviously it was all an elaborate marketing scheme to promote Call of Duty Ghosts a few years in advance.

Seriously though, I have no idea what its for

[m4rt14n]

Spy SAT, predator in space. Why else would USAF be running it?

[Simon Ross]

Delivering six people to a paved landing strip in about an hour (just eyeballing here)? I'm not really sure why you would need it at all - you could get to more locations (no strip needed) and probably for less money with just a capsule, if you needed it, and not worry about recovery and capture of technology. I just don't get how it would be economical and to what purpose.

It's basically what Shuttle was supposed to originally be. Simply a cheap way of getting warm bodies to Leo and back with reusable technology.

Frankly there is no other use for it

[Idobox]

The satellite killer, orbital warfare hypothesis sounds very plausible.

Capsules are not very good at precision landing. You're not going to put commando troops in a drop ship that has a 30km accuracy. Obviously, orbital capacity doesn't appear critical, but you just need to put it on top of a smaller booster to turn it into a cheaper suborbital vehicle. Also, having a few of these standby in orbit with some valuable cargo would allow a faster and more discreet deployment.

The waverider looks more like a suborbital transport, but we have to remember the X-37 is a research platform, a stepping stone for something else. The USAF could be secretly working on a larger or different version, building on the knowledge and experience acquired with the one we know.

[Winter Man]

Few little robot arm things and some spare parts in that cargo bay and you could use it to modify satellites. I'd imagine there's a billion and one uses for a little circuit bending on foreign nations' spy satellites.

[Kryten]

Spy SAT, predator in space. Why else would USAF be running it?

Spysats are the NROs responsibility. Pretty much anything else military in space is in USAAF's remit, including GPS.

Reading between the lines a bit, I think it's a satellite killer, possibly able to capture a satellite and return it to Earth for analysis.

Leaving aside that that would break multiple international treaties, returning a satellite would require a cradle that'd have to be custom-built for each model; if you knew enough about an enemy sat's characteristics to do it you wouldn't have to capture one.

[drakesdoom]

A Traditional spy sat has one major drawback, once it is in place it is relatively fixed in orbit. An enemy can track it, and just pack up and wait while it passes overhead. The X37 however is mobile enough that astronomers that were tracking it after launch lost it when it dramatically adjusted orbit, something a normal spy satellite could not do. So it's purpose is to get the same imaging of a spy satellite anywhere, anytime, with no warning.

[Red Iron Crown]

Sure, if you want it to come down without any damage. It might be worth bring one down, even knowing it's in for a rough ride, to get a look at its components. Just conjecture on my part, of course.

As for treaties, it may be that its design can be called ostensibly peaceful, with the capability to do more warlike things if it becomes necessary.

[Andon]

Spysats are the NROs responsibility. Pretty much anything else military in space is in USAAF's remit, including GPS.

Leaving aside that that would break multiple international treaties, returning a satellite would require a cradle that'd have to be custom-built for each model; if you knew enough about an enemy sat's characteristics to do it you wouldn't have to capture one.

I'm sure there are ways around that. Line the cargo bay with something, shove the sat in, and then fill the whole thing with expanding foam. Sure, it'd be a hell of a mess to clean up when you got it home, but that's something a vacuum cleaner can take care of.

[Kryten]

A Traditional spy sat has one major drawback, once it is in place it is relatively fixed in orbit. An enemy can track it, and just pack up and wait while it passes overhead. The X37 however is mobile enough that astronomers that were tracking it after launch lost it when it dramatically adjusted orbit, something a normal spy satellite could not do. So it's purpose is to get the same imaging of a spy satellite anywhere, anytime, with no warning.

Normal spysats do that all the time; all that requires is a good amount of manoeuvring fuel. Yes, they're unable to be refuelled, but the lack of need to re-enter makes up for it.

I'm sure there are ways around that. Line the cargo bay with something, shove the sat in, and then fill the whole thing with expanding foam. Sure, it'd be a hell of a mess to clean up when you got it home, but that's something a vacuum cleaner can take care of.

...and then watch the X-37 burn up on re-entry due to a misaligned CoM. The shuttle's CoM had to stay in a volume of 36x2x2 inches; scale that to the X-37, and you're talking millimetre precision.

[Red Iron Crown]

The shuttle's CoM had to stay in a volume of 36x2x2 inches

Really? I would have thought that such a large vehicle would be able to accomodate differing CoMs better. Got a link where I can read more about this?

[Kryten]

Really? I would have thought that such a large vehicle would be able to accomodate differing CoMs better. Got a link where I can read more about this?

Originally that came from a forum post. Googling that phrase gives me...the same forum post and some stuff about pipes. Digging a bit deeper, this document gives a centre-of-gravity range for the finished vehicle of 2.5% body length, which comes out to about 30 inches, so it seems to be about right.