27 October 2019 (13:09 UTC-07 Tango 06) 05 Aban 1398/27 Safar 1441/29 Jia-Xu 4717
Real short thermal image video of 27OCT2019 X-37B landing:
“The sky is no longer the limit for the Air Force and, if Congress approves, the U.S. Space Force.”-General David L. Goldfein, U.S. Air Force
After two years in orbit, the space drone X-37B returned to Earth, setting a record: “The X-37B continues to demonstrate the importance of a reusable spaceplane. Each successive mission advances our nation’s space capabilities.”-Barbara Barrett, Secretary of the Air Force
Photo via Space Launch Delta 45.
At 03:15 Eastern U.S. Time, 27OCT2019, the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) landed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, completing 780 days in orbit during its fifth test mission: “This program continues to push the envelope as the world’s only reusable space vehicle. With a successful landing today, the X-37B completed its longest flight to date and successfully completed all mission objectives. This mission successfully hosted Air Force Research Laboratory experiments, among others, as well as providing a ride for small satellites.”-Randy Walden, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office
You should keep in mind how significant the 780 days in orbit are, as the Boeing X-37B was originally designed for only 270 day-orbits.
The X-37B OTV is placed inside a pod for launching, 31AUG2017. Photo via Boeing.
X-37B Mission-5 launched on 07SEP2017 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on-board a Space X Falcon 9 booster (Air Force Awards Launch Services Contracts to SpaceX). Mission-6 will launch sometime in 2020.
Launch pod carrying X-37B is towed to the Space-X rocket, which can be seen waiting in the background, 05SEP2017. Photo via Boeing.
2017 official video explainer of the X-37B:
U.S. Air Force photo, 07MAY2017.
Video of X-37B Mission-4 landing, 07MAY2017, Kennedy Space Center. Watch as it roles past a Space Shuttle ‘gate guard’:
USAF photo, 07MAY2017.
What’s it like to have the X-37B fly over your head? Watch the video:
Before the use of a SpaceX rocket, the X-37B was launched by the old Atlas-5. Video, March 2015, Atlas-5 rocket launches AFSPC-5 satellite carrying X-37B from Cape Canaveral:
Video, 2012 Pentagon Report reveals unmanned space plane was taken over by DARPA from NASA:
The X-37B OTV being placed inside the launch capsule/pod, 31MAR2010. USAF photo.
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On 02OCT2019, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, unveiled a KC-135 Stratotanker with nose art commemorating 150 years of the City of Derby.
The first wall panel goes up at the Yuma 5 Mile Project, 05SEP2019.
CBP personnel ‘process’ survivors of Hurricane Dorian, evacuating from Bahamas, 07SEP2019.
The state militia publicly remembered the 103rd anniversary of its deployment to the Mexican border in September 1916, in response to Mexican rebel raids into the U.S.
In Northern Territory, the Australian military, along with U.S. Marines, trained for operation Crocodile Response, a bilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise in order to more rapidly respond to natural disasters and crises throughout the region.
The Japanese military held Remote Island Disaster Exercise training at Yaeyama Islands, 01SEP2019.
South Korea Ministry of Environment’ K-water operations, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, work with NASA to develop satellite technology in the hopes of preventing future water disasters.
U.S. personnel from Osan Air Base respond to the aftermath of Typhoon Lingling, 07SEP2019.
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) hints that its running out of money by telling people to save money to help pay for disaster expenses!
Health professionals representing 20 countries gathered for the 22nd annual Health Emergencies in Large Populations (H.E.L.P.) course in Honolulu, from September 9th-20th. It was hosted by Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM) in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the University of Hawai’i Office of Public Health Studies. The main goal is to create a common language, and procedures, between civilian and military emergency responders around the world.
Even though Mongolia is not a Pacific Rim country, the U.S. decided to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief ‘Pacific Resilience’ training in the Central Asian country, and ordered Oregon’s Army National Guard to participate.
Can you find the P-51(F-6A) painted A-10?