Air Force’s X-37B spaceship doesn’t escape attention of satellite fans
The U.S. Air Force's X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle can be seen in this picture sitting inside its payload fairing during encapsulation at the Astrotech facility in Titusville, Fla., before its launch in April.
While the U.S. Air Force is mum about the orbital whereabouts of its X-37B mini-space plane, a dedicated band of amateur skywatchers has got its cross-hairs on the spacecraft.
The unpiloted X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle 1 was lofted on April 22 atop an Atlas launcher. It is being flown under the auspices of the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.
In U.S. military tracking parlance, when the space plane reached orbit it became identified as Catalog Number 36514, 2010-015A, OTV-1 (USA 212). From there it entered a cone of silence regarding any on-orbit duties.
