Technicians inspect the military X37-B space plane after its June 2012 landing, which completed the vehicle's second trip to orbit. USAF/Boeing
X-37B Launch: Air Force's Secret Space Plane Ready For Tuesday Liftoff -- Huffington Post
The secretive U.S. Air Force X-37B robotic space plane has been cleared to lift off Tuesday (Dec. 11).
The X-37B vehicle and its cargo bay packed with a classified payload is set to make the third mission of the program. Also called Orbital Test Vehicle-3, or OTV-3, the unpiloted craft is slated to be hurled into Earth orbit by an Atlas 5 rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) at 1:03 p.m. EST (1803 GMT).
There's an interesting angle to the upcoming mission. This third flight will use the same X-37B spacecraft that flew the first test flight, the OTV-1 mission, back in 2010.
Read more ....
Update: Air Force's X-37B mini-shuttle shrouded in secrecy -- USA Today
My Comment: It's payload may be a secret, but it will still be watched by a lot of people .... i.e. Russia, China, Iran, etc...
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