Everything We Know About The US Air Force's Secret Space Plane - The X-37B
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- For the last 10 years the US Air Force has been flying a small reusable space plane designated the X-37B, carrying out classified missions in low Earth orbit. This of course makes it something of a magnet for crazy conspiracy theories suggesting it's a weapons platform or it's changing the weather. However it was always pitched as a reusable platform to perform extended experiments in space starting back when it was a joint project with NASA. But NASA left the project after developing new flight control sensors and algorithms, because the purpose of the final product largely replicated capabilities already offered by the Space Station.
The DoD had similar testing requirements with the extra constraint of keeping the hardware and tests classified, so, the X-37B offers them this capability.
Photos of X37B in space by Ralph Vandebergh
/ ralfvandebergh - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
"Exposing new experimental materials to space"
[+5 Science ]
I bet the mystery goo felt at home
Testing nuclear bombs in space *-3 strength* *-50 lockpick* ( *you are now hated in the town of megaton* )
@@bigshrimp6458 what do you mean your internet cryptic comment doesn't make any sense what are you talking about buddy ? .
@@destinyangel5 Fallout reference
It’s fallout..... You should play it.
If it would have been carried to orbit with the space shuttle, we would literally be launching space planes using space planes.
Space Explorer yo dawg, I heard you like space planes, so I put a space plane in your space plane.
Space Arsenal Bird
"Congratulations Ms. Shuttle, it's an X-37B"
Space.... Aircraft Carrier?
@@EnglisherThanThou "Ohh, It has it's mother-ship's... windows" :)
First tested at Holloman AFB August 11th, 1998 at 0659. THEN moved to Edwards AFB. I could tell you way more but would take up a page. I am the Senior NCO who developed the ground handling techniques used for launch and recovery up until the actual test release. It landed 13 feet left of centerline and corrected to within 7 feet. Our team won the Stellar Award for that test. (and it was 85% scale to the follow on X-37)
This is FBI. Be careful what you say son.
Let’s get to the point here. How much?
Switching to the toxic fuel seems like a terrible idea! But I do really like that they kept working on shuttles !
@@patrickday4206
These fuels are necessary for spacecraft that need to stay in orbit for a long time (like the Soyuz or the Space Shuttle's OMS). This is because Liquid Oxygen is cryogenic, wich means that it evaporates over time.
@@davisdf3064 means that it evaporates over time? I've had compressed oxygen in bottles for years? Are you referring to hydrogen?
I've just discovered this channel and I can't stop watching. I'm thoroughly impressed with the knowledge given in each video.
Feels like we should pay for it, the quality is so awesome. Everyday Astronaut is another outstanding channel! More long form (hour long ballpark) videos but all the detail, graphics, comparisons, etc that you could ever want.
@@MattH-wg7ou you cannot compare everyday astronaut to Scott... EA is a very media-centered and boring kid, while Scott has always been at the point, smart, quick without bloating the message. Honestly, there is no way you can compare the two
@@cokeforever "well, thats just like...your opinion man." I can like two things. You dont have to crap on someone else or their preferences.
@@MattH-wg7ou sure, every single comment on yt is somebody's oppinion... ) captn obvious)
@@cokeforever its a quote from the Big Lebowski dude chill
The X37b re-entered near my house and the boom woke me up from a dead sleep.
At least we know you're still alive
"Mostly dead."
@@RedLP5000S Okay, Miracle Max.
That was your wife farting, but she didn't want to admit it. But that was a pretty creative story...
Did you have to change your sheets?
Did the Air Force "See the error of their ways" or did they smile and say, "Alright, now that THEY have done the testing and risked THEIR reputations, money, time, and hardware ..."
why the quotes? You don't have a clue what they are for, do you?
@@volgawolfhounds741 I guess the first pair of quotes is because it is a.. well.. quote of what Scott said in the video, and the second pair of quotes is because it's direct speech? But I'm not a native speaker, so not completely sure. The quotes don't seem wrong to me.
Fulmenify
I am a native anglophone and the quotes are used correctly
He had to fill his quota
@@volgawolfhounds741 Do you? Quotes, as the name implies, are to enclose quotations, as Alone spirit did.
2:07 that landing gear deploying look so toy-ish
Yeah, I noticed it too. Looks very odd. Shows it not having any real support for any weight, wheels were wobbling just before touchdown.
Probably a very simple system to reduce weight and faults.
Gravity dropped gear that uses springs and dampers hence the bouncing motion
It was most likely just prototype made just for that test.
Landing gear
X-37, the only aircraft whose glide ratio could make the space shuttle look like an ASK-21 sailplane.
Was just reading about this on this news. At the same time thinking where is my Scott Manley video on this.
You’re “Da Man!” Scott, producing and publishing a TH-cam video during a power outage...nothing stops you, eh??
Scott left out one key 'Everything We Know': the X37b is man-rated.
It has been shown furthermore on at least one aerospace website that it could also be man-carrying. There is no cockpit, but the bay and mass capacity would allow a sealed capsule for one person, with about the same comfortability factor somewhere between the old Mercury and the Gemini capsules. A laptop and cable would provide everything necessary for control.
The question then becomes, has this happened; or what would be the point?
@@-danR That was the X37-C which was about 33% bigger, it never went further than a paper proposing it.
@@scottmanley
I think we're talking about two intersecting things. The X-37c as it was designed could be easily manned, and able to carry a whopping 6 passengers. The current version could be manned, with a single crew member. The 'man-rating' of the b-version consists of its 1.5g acceleration rating.
It has such a _reliability_ record that I would class it as 'mannable', by such manly men (or women) who might venture to 'pilot' the thing. It's been years since I read that article, some aerospace publication in good standing, or I'd have better details.
He was bored
Gotta pay the bills when they come back on hehe
"Everything We Know About The USAF's Secret Space Plane"
_The CIA would like to know your location_
Superbun Wouldn’t that be more of a DoD thing? Doesn’t CIA deal with various forms of intelligence gathering and other non military threats?
If the CIA got involved that would be stranger things because they are prohibited from operations on American soil. On the other hand you might see three black SUVs from the FBI and USAF intelligence and the Defence Intelligence Agency very interested in hanging around your hou............................
indeed you mean the FBI would like to know your location. of course im not going to say the CIA has never operated on USA soil (though im sure they would say that) but the FBI is supposed to take the lead in all "CIA" like activities that would be carried out on USA soil.
Why do you think there is a "power outage" in that basement disguised as a living room? :P
Silly goose, CIA is international drug trade enforcement (Cocaine Import Agency) the NSA doesn't exist (No Such Agency) the agency you're thinking of is Homeland Se,,,,,,
Meanwhile on the surface:
Roomba gets stuck in a corner.
I like those things though lol
5:38 man, that single offset engine looks really unsettling for some reason.
Agreed. I can't wrap my head around any benefit to doing that. Obviously there IS one, but it's beyond me.
@@erfquake1 The video explains it. The main engine is offset to make room to test other engines. 10:08
Bet they stole somebody’s satellite😄
@@johnballs1352 yikes
Naah, Just install some spy stuff on somebody's satellite 🏴☠️
Have you been watching old James Bond movies?
@@donjones4719 i wouldn't _rule out_ the possibility that America has developed "capture and recover" capability. it's not at all likely imo that that's what this mission was, but again, i wouldn't rule it out..
Maybe, definitely some kind of snooping around.
2:20 the way the landing gear just pops open on the x40 is so hilarious
It is so extremely classified that you can only find it on TH-cam. ^^
If you dont have a security clearance you can't see the video..
carbon carbon, eh?
it's twice as carbonous as plain old every day carbon.
Not the dreaded carbon-carbon? Mother Gaea!
The carbon is carbonier than before!
Carbon fiber held in a carbonized phenolic matrix instead of epoxy matrix
It really is
Just wait till they use carbon carbon carbon!
Excellent explanation! Thank you for keeping the channel so resilient even during the power outage.
It's likely a testing payload allowing the DOD to test whatever they want on their own hardware. Doesn't mean it can't be used as a weapons platform but it's much more useful as a test bed.
@Jacob Howell Orbital graffiti!
Plus: Good to see the X-Plane tradition continues...
@Jacob Howell Spray Painting in space may or may not go well. :)
@Jacob Howell In a vacuum the spray would expand out at an extreme angle. Also in a vacuum the solvents in the paint would almost instantly vaporize so all that would hit the solar panel is high velocity paint powder. I work with vacuum chambers and I also use a spray gun to paint. I've never tried to paint in a vacuum but I know it wouldn't work the same as it does in the atmosphere.
@Jacob Howell Ya, I was kind of joking too. It would be possible with very slow evaporating solvent in the paint and like you said some pretty fancy spray nozzles. It sounds like a fun challenge. I make industrial prototypes and one of a kind parts. I have made some parts for Lockheed Martin but I didn't ask what they were and they didn't tell me.
Scott Manley: "Power's out, better record an episode"
Doctor: Spook Manley isn't real, it can't hurt you.
Spook Manley: 0:18
Not funny didnt laugh.
Thank you for telling us your opinion, even though nobody asked
I love these videos that follow the X-37B mysterious space vehicle down the speculative rabbit hole and kick around the topic of what it might be doing up there! As usual Scott, excellent video! 🚀🚀🚀
Wait till we get a look in that cargo bay and see a lazy boy recliner and a big ol 70's crt television. And they say it's unmanned.
That'll be the Russian or Chinese copy.
@@bvcxzgt5451 those won't have a lazy boy or a t.v. they'll just have a poster of their leaders and some vodka
Turns out the US military have been using orbit to cool their beers
PG&E: We're shutting everyone's power off
Scott Manley: Hold my warm beer...
Scott's back up generator is fueled with Haggis.
@@NeverTalkToCops1 Either that or whiskey.
@@RWBHere no self respecting Scott would waste whiskey on running a generator
4:07 been there in ksp, so excited I actually landed that I forgot to engage my brakes
Yep! Can't say I've done that in particular, but I like to say that the main way KSP is unrealistic is that someone put me in charge!
Gotta ask- what is "ksp"...?
@@mcnultyssobercompanion6372 A video game about building rockets called Kerbal Space Program
@@mcnultyssobercompanion6372 kerbal space program! It's a video game where you design your own spaceships and fly them to run your own space program. It's very free form and open ended in terms of goals, and also has a very active modding community! It does a decent job of teaching the intuition of orbital mechanics through experience as well, although it is lacking in the department of quantitative and rigorous education without a curriculum and teacher to go along with it, because it's not intended to being learning tool but does have a basic simulation of aerodynamics, orbital mechanics (just one body's gravity at a time, with the planets set on their orbits being hard-coded), and structural strength of your spaceships all being taken into account.
If you're interested in it even if you don't typically play videogames I'd highly recommend looking it up on TH-cam to see what the gameplay is like, how the creator tools for making spaceships work, and some of the crazy stuff other people have made with it! Then if you do decide to give it a try I'd say it's absolutley worth every penny, and I think there's also a demo based on a very old version. They're also making a sequel (rumored to be more sci-fi while the current one is decently true to current technology).
@@mcnultyssobercompanion6372 Kerbal Space Program
0:43 That 5 sign appeared at the perfect time
thats how editing works
Good job, producing videos during the Cali fires/power cuts : SpacePrepper Scott! GReat video, especially under the current circumstances.
Very interesting and informative video. Great video, Scott!
Thanks Scott. That's the best explanation I've heard so far. Amazing tech and a major tool in the development of future orbital craft and interplanetary spaceflight. Hey I'm an old-school A&P mechanic, and I still prefer sticks and fabric, but thanks again for keeping me connected to today's reality. Regards, Fred Flintstone
10:25 "Oscillating Heat Pipe would also be a great name for a rock band." -- Not Dave Barry
Or a porno.
2 kinds of people.
I got an oscillating heat pipe in my pants.
An American band maybe. But Heavy Metal maybe in UK. Dont listen to or like Metal. Give me good old Prog Rock. Heavy but pre metal. I E. Deep purple or Black Sabbath. Or Arty Prog rock. Genesis Pete and Steve era. E.L.P. Bit off Topic. But mentioning band names like Oscillating heat pipe. Dreadnought a decent band name.
Dreadnought would be a deep band.
Great stuff as usual Scott!! Ye ole "Lifting Body" design!! My late father worked for NASA during the Apollo years!! Keep them coming!! Fly Safe Mate!!
Thanks for taking the time to make another great video, what with your power outage and all.
The fact that white knight has carried two spaceplanes is soooo cooool
I actually met Burt Rutan at Oshkosh once back in the 90's- he's a cool guy!
White knights die in the end
Christopher Sturm racist
Arthur Guseynov how is what he said racist?
Eieght D oh no it’s not I just felt like it
Oh, so the V-tail is to help it fit in the Space Shuttle bay. I had jumped to the conclusion that it was designed by someone excessively devoted to the original Beechcraft Bonanza...
I had guessed someone taking the chance for a last-stage aerodynamics trial.
no they wanted it to fly! lol
Or they just wanted it to look cool.
It's designed to kill doctors.
Another great informative video. Keep up the good work.
Another brilliant video .... Thanks Scott!
Thanks for another fascinating video on a cool little spacecraft, Scott Manley! It's interesting how ahead of its time the X-37B was, doing autonomous landings more than a decade before Space X got their boosters to come back to base.
The Buran was fully autonomous too, it's an ability that has been around in one shape or another for a while.
It was? Cool! Then the Soviets must have been the first. Seems like quite an achievement for the 1980's.
@@Kevin_Street Well.. Most new airlines in the 80's were equipped with some form of autolanding ability, the tech started development in the late 60's I think.
Most fuel efficient plane ever, for sure.
Well, no, but actually yes
Technically a glider.
@@twistedyogert a glider is still a plane
@@twistedyogert a plane that isn't able to glide is no plane
In terms of distance travelled without refueling, most definitely.
Ehhh! that's the spirit I like to see on youtube! You never give up. keep doing this scott
Good detailed overview! Thank you
Can't wait for the Noctua cooler featuring oscillating heat pipes
I love it when a video becomes available of these super top-secret landers and satellites that are being developed under a cloak of darkness. That way we can run down to the store and get a Revell or Monogram plastic model kit that shows all the top-secret hardware, and has assembly instructions that describe what color to paint the top-secret technological modules and laser beam guided nuclear warheads and death ray equipment. Ages 10 and up.
when places have posters of the damned thing in their employee lounges, go figure.
🚀 Scott you’re the best! I really enjoy and very much look forward to your content...👍🏻👍🏻
Great video, any videos I ever watched on the x37b where, as you said, weapons or spy based. This is by fare the most plausible and likely explanation! Thanks Scott, your a legend!
Oscillating Heat Pipe sounds like something CPUs and GPUs could use hmmm...
Unless its a Mac then they will just say you can download it for extra cost....
@@anarchyantz1564 Nope, you gotta buy a whole new iteration of the machine if you want it.
@@unlucky5442 the guy you're replying to is also making a joke
Oscillating Heat Pipe is the name of my next metal thrash klezmer band.
Here I thought it was a new style bong for Californians
Love your work! I was wondering about rocket naming conventions. How can a rocket with different engines, fuel tanks and capabilities still be considered as just the next version? For example the atlas series or Soyuz. What is the reason for keeping a common name?
Paul Jackson atlas is a hoot, the name has been around since late 1950s, and like grandpa’s axe, the handle has been replaced three times and the head twice, but apart from that it’s all 100% original
I frickin' love your Rifter model in the background!
Awesome video Scott
Kerosene/HTP? Not seen that combo since the Brits gave up on Black Knight/Black Prince. The nice thing is that if you catalyse the H2O2 decomposition first, the hot O2/H2O mix is hypergolic with kerosene.
Much less toxic than the nitrogen based hypergolic mixes, too.
Wasn't Black Arrow the last HTP rocket the UK designed to get cancelled?
That sir is an awesome t-shirt.
I have learned so much from your channel. Thank you so much.
Interesting as always
Thanks for sharing👍😀
Just a coincidence that Baghdadi was killed on Oct 26th and this landed on Oct 27th
Interesting.
little known detail on the part when it went from NASA to classified project: they had a breakthrough on the tiles and the TPS. It was significant enough that the project was completely removed from NASA's hands.
I read the report. They didn't use the new TPS report cover sheet, though.
@@metanumia Yeah the second!
Makes you think.
Wow! another very informative video. From just an average guy, thanks for making these easy to follow!
Thank you for not letting the power outage get in the way of these awesome videos
"It's cute. Every family should have one (orbital vehicle (in their garage))."
Depends who's running it. The DOD funds a lot of basic research that will probably never get used for anything military related. alAnd even for the military angled things there's carry over to civilians, like GPS, or the fact that the early space program was built on ICBM's.
Not exactly, although all DOD projects are about expanding the military capabilities of the United States. The DOD tends to be fairly interested in new technologies that can enable any sort of military advantage, from better surveillance and intelligence, to communications. As such, they fund research in a lot of fields related to satellites, like thermal control, solar panels, and propulsion systems. TL:DR, having the best guns is nice, but knowing where to point them is just as important.
The DoD funds a lot of research into basic cell biology that's not really necessary for bioweapons development and such, to add to other examples.
Not really. Most are related to defending against the weapons of our enemies.
@@borkborkfoxxo279 The Navy is tasked by congress to perform research in Breast Cancer and Blood
I'm surprised you didn't mention anything about the Boeing Phantom Express/ DARPA Space Plane!
Thanx Scott.
I hope you get the power back real soon!
Very interesting. Stay safe Scott.
It would be interesting to take one of those ball bearings used in gyros which are so prone to failing in space and see if you can replicate the failure and bring it back. There's speculation that solar flares might cause arcing between a ball and the chase leaving a little spur. Since the switch to ceramic bearings there hasn't been a failure which suggests there might be merit to the solar flare theory. I'd say its worth spending a sizable fraction of a billion dollars to find out.
4:16 Might I assume that's the air brake 'tween the ruddervators? Eleders?
I used to work with hydrazine in open barrels. Our protective gear looked more like a raincoat, rubber boots, and a face shield. That was 30 years ago and I'm still here. These guys are wearing stuff you could walk around on the moon.
Well done as usual.
All uses probably revolve around recovery of material. Alternatively, this seems to be a very "rapid" development and testing platform. Flying stuff on the X-37B is probably a lot easier and faster to achieve than with a custom satellite, probe or other mission.
omg.. i need that new oscilating heat pipe... cant wait when this enters general use, for computers especially XD
I love your vids. I do suggest you put your camera into manual focus then set it a bit in front of your wall, otherwise you'll always be a blur. Thanks for the info. Cheers.
Very timely Mr Manley.
Any thoughts on it being a test bed for a new unmanned space shuttle?
Very interesting subject this time Scott. I find it interesting that this platform even exists. I guess regular aero drones are not enough, we need space drones. :) BTW, like the T-Shirt.
Could you please do a video where you talk about “Dilithium Crystal” and how you “Don’t have the power” ?
Great video!
I loved the impromptu pre-Halloween dark episode!
I know one guy that will be pissed when they lower the ramp and a Tesla rolls out 😏
The US... respecting international treaties.... Yes, they always do that.
Aww an angry canadian globalist. So cute.
When trump scratches his face with his middle finger do you percieve it as a direct insult to you?
@American Nationalist yeah. Launch secret sattelites until one collides with another and starts a fucking space debris chain reaction
@@CarlosAM1 Talk to the CCP or do you just take orders from them?
Cool stuff enjoyed watching take care ! Peace ✌️ from Welland Ontario Canada 🇨🇦
Thanks Scott been wondering what that was for a while now.
Seen in the news today a Northrop Grumman robot docked with an active satellite in orbit. Made me think of the x37b. Wouldn't be surprised if it had returned from orbit with a Chinese satellite in its hold. Seems possible.
Naw..it may have assembled a giant SSP satellite for the length of time it was up in orbit
X-37B reminds me of Farscape-1.
Never thought of that, but you're right!
_"I am free and flying."_
@@Allan_aka_RocKITEman "Kill her! ...then we'll have pizza... and margarita shooters. Do it, John - kill her. Do it... do it!"
It's an old project, so Farscape-1 was likely modeled on some iteration of it.
@@Tfin "Ricky Eyres based the design of the ship (Farscape-1) on an experimental re-entry craft that NASA had designed."
Dates line up, as well. X-37 project in 1999, first episode of Farscape aired March, 1999. Can't believe it's been 20 years already... oof.
Thanks for this
Very informative as usual!
I know you're bored with your old intro, but for me its like changing the theme for Star Trek.
they left someone in there to see effects of cosmic radiation non the human body. RIP Bob
Epstein.
Satellite Capture. That's what they're doing, and why the missions take so long.
My impression also.
@@konradgajewski8215
I haven't heard much about Russia's spy satellite with the arm on it.
So incredibly cool!
I honestly thought this was something born of the discarded crew return vehicle that was scraped in favor using the Russian hardware adopted for the task.
I remember seeing a CRV being built in Houston in 1997 as a tourist.
I still remember it, a low slung lifting body all covered in green aircraft primer...
Whatever happened to the CRVs?
That might be worth looking into by some super cool guy somewhere...
Good episode Scott.
SPACE FORCE!
SPACE FORCE!
SPAAAAAACEEEEEEE
"The US is supposed to be the one that respects [the UN]" Bwahahahahaha!
Well you can't tell "the bad guys" off if you do the same. Not that hypocriticism ever stopped anyone.
@@5Andysalive Not sure what the UN has to do with good or bad guys.
@@jimschuler8830 depending on your point of view in the UN is either very good or very bad. Being in the second category I think that anything that harms, denigrates or inconveniences the UN is for the greater good.
@@lowereducation6631 Why do you think UN is bad?
@@KrissFliss It's a giant self-sustaining bureaucracy that has no country to manage, answers to no one, performs no useful function, yet sucks enough money to sustain a medium sized country. It was intended to prevent world war, but that function is performed by the atomic bomb as a free bonus.
Lights go out. Scott: Oh well, Time to get started on my vid about that Top-Secret Spaceplane :'D
Some real kerbal tech right there. I am excited to see more of this project.
Here's reality: This 'mission' is completely financed by the Uber wealthy Tessier-Ashpool family, onboard is a complete assembly array equipped with robotic arms.
It is building an orbital station that is to be the home of the Tessier- Ashpool family, all of this is under the guidance of an AI named Wintermute.
Scott you are a mine of information! (Or as a friend of mine hilariously misquotes, 'a minefield of information' !)
I love it! Spring hopes eternal!
Yup, Scott's the real deal. But actually, TH-cam overall *is* a minefield of information.
@@donjones4719 So true
Everytime I watch one of his videos knowledge explodes into my face :D
Thank you for this video Scott! I've been wondering about the x37b. What are they really testing?
Anything/just space stuff in general
the X-37B means alot to me as it was the first live rocket launch i ever saw
id really like to know more about why the engine is off to the side a bit.
It really really bothers me.
Scott Manley: "...they were testing an oscilla..."
Me: ...tion overthruster?
Scott Manley "...ting heat pipe."
Me: )`:
I see you're also a blue blazer regular.
Very interesting. Thanks from France :)
The imperial shuttle in the background, so good looking.
Scott: this thing is super secret, now let's look at the design.
USAF: we're going to have a friendly little chat about this at your house.
Scott: it's probably not a weapons platform or a spy satellite. Probably just a test vehicle for new technologies.
USAF: we won't need the swat team after all.
The power was cut to his entire area just in an attempt to block this video. But Scott prevailed. ;)
Having a little uncrewed spaceplane sure would be useful if you were considering nuclear powered spy satellites and wanted a way to bring the reactor cores back.
... then your wing breaks under the re-entry load, and you slam the reactor against the ground 2.5 miles from Scott Manley house. Scott makes a video about it. His last one.
@@vladimirdyuzhev the uranium for a reactor that small probably wouldnt survive re entry
Power to you Scott! :)
Ive been lucky enough to have seen it docked to the I.s.s., not to long ago, some real cool stuff, russsia china n.korea iran dont want problems.keep up the cool work