The X-37B fired off its jet engines destined for outer space with limited explanation from the U.S. Air Force who helped formulate the plane along with longstanding airline production giant Boeing. NASA was involved with the development of the plane which is doing a test route in space with an unnamed mission and details wrapped up in secrecy.
The spacecraft is also known as an Orbital Test Vehicle but unlike most space shuttles sent into space, it was not documented publicly through NASA or given a documented mission name, objective, or estimated time of return.
"In all honesty, we don't know when it's coming back for sure. It depends on the progress that we make with the on-orbit demonstrations," Air Force deputy Gary Payton told Space.com.
There hasn’t been a lot of discussion about what the unmanned plane would be used for in the future, but at the moment it has not been equipped to carry any passengers.
The plane was developed by the Phantom Works segment of Boeing that specializes in assisting other companies with production of technological products that need guidance from their team of specialists. There is no listing of the space plane on their website.
“Boeing Defense, Space & Security's Phantom Works group is an integrated team that works with the three BDS Businesses to help them develop advanced cross-cutting concepts and technologies to respond to evolving needs of customers and to address potential new markets,” read Boeing’s official website.
The U.S. military has not released any mechanical specifications on the plane’s design leaving some people to believe that it could be used to carry weaponry. The question of weapons testing has not been addressed by the Air Force.
With no mission name it is unclear what the main objective is of the X-37B’s trip into space, but there has been some basic information given by those working on and around the space plane.
It has been rumored that the main objective of the X-37B going into space is to test the navigation and robotic controls that are manned from Earth. The space plane is also designed for an automated reentry to a Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, reported Space.com [1] .
The X-37B took off just after NASA’s Atlantis launched Thursday morning to complete its documented STS-132 mission. Atlantis was sent out to carry cargo to a space station. For a full report on Atlantis and a detailed report on its mission objectives visit NASA.com [2] .
It seems the X-37B would be a prime candidate for unmanned cargo deliveries to space stations, but some skeptics say it is meant for military applications. There is logical evidence to show that the plane could be used for space to Earth attacks on unsuspecting nations, but the U.S. Air Force has denied all accusations of the X-37B being a new space age weapon.