SpaceX Launches Secret Air Force Spaceplane

[Noah930]

Don't understand your question, wd. The rocket hits nearly 6000 kph on the way up, before falling back down to earth. Speed is distance traveled divided by time. Kilometers per hour. Whether there is air or not (or if the rocket is going straight upwards versus traveling parallel to the surface of the planet) makes no difference. In one hour, if it maintained its maximum speed, it would have traveled almost 6000 kilometers!

[onewhippedpuppy]

The X-37B is a super cool topic. We are sending this craft into space to do stuff and it will be back later. The last mission was about two years, without any official word on what it was doing.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Amazing technology and engineering, congratulations to the men and women who built that and made it happen.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Noah930

Don't understand your question, wd. The rocket hits nearly 6000 kph on the way up, before falling back down to earth. Speed is distance traveled divided by time. Kilometers per hour. Whether there is air or not (or if the rocket is going straight upwards versus traveling parallel to the surface of the planet) makes no difference. In one hour, if it maintained its maximum speed, it would have traveled almost 6000 kilometers!

Speed is measured relative to something. Airspeed (used in aircraft) is measured relative to ambient air because that is what is relevant to the functioning of the machine (an aircraft isn't affected by it's relationship to the earth). Ground speed, measured against infinite fixed points on earth, is used on surface travel because surface travel is parallel to the surface and what is relevant is the vehicles position on the earth's surface. You seem to be implying that the speed of the SpaceX rocket is measured relative to the launch point, unlike aircraft or ground vehicles. It makes sense overall. I'm sure airspeed figures in the calculations of fuel use and aerodynamics, but I don't think that is what was reported on the telemetry on the video.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I'm a long way removed from my orbital mechanics class, but can tell you that exit velocity is a key component of any calculation related to space flight. The math definitely gets harder when you have to start taking into account the velocity of lunar bodies, because in reality we are all moving very fast. You can always pick a datum point though - the earth, the sun, etc. it's all about where you are going.

[kach22i]

If the robotic X-37B's are cleaning up all the space junk, I say it's about time.

Fifth mystery mission, could be anything.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/x-37b-space-plane-know-175600548.html

“We can tailor our missions to specific user needs, and return experiments back for post-flight inspection,” said Ken Torok, the director of experimental systems at Boeing.

If they can retrieve experiments, then they might be able to retrieve derelict satellites.

This company wants to combat space junk with a fleet of satellite repair vehicles
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/vivisat-technology-could-reduce-space-191004942.html

ViviSat, a joint venture between U.S. Space and Orbital ATK, has a radical idea to tackle the growing issue of space junk. The company is attacking the problem at its source by developing the Mission Extender Vehicle (MEV), which will prolong the life of satellites by up to 15 years. Extending the lifespan of a satellite means operators won’t have to send up as many replacements. It also means existing satellites can stay operational longer, reducing the amount of time they will orbit as junk.

[island911]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Watching the telemetry on the video raised a question. One parameter shown was speed. Speed relative to what? Air speed doesn't make sense at 100km, where there basically isn't any air. Ground speed doesn't make sense early in the flight when the vehicle is moving normal to the ground, not parallel to it. What are they measuring to come up with speed is it simply the rate change in distance from the launch?

speed exists in 3-space. Speed up (acceleration actually) is of particular importance when working against a gravitational field. Also Coriolis effect is important.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by motion

Musk is our Da Vinci. Can't wait to see what else he comes up with.

Does he come up with things, or does he run companies that hire people to come up with stuff for him?

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by svandamme

Does he come up with things, or does he run companies that hire people to come up with stuff for him?

He's the man with a vision that hires people to make it a reality.

[svandamme]

not exactly Da Vinci then

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Is anyone anymore? Does anyone need to be again?

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Speed is measured relative to something. Airspeed (used in aircraft) is measured relative to ambient air because that is what is relevant to the functioning of the machine (an aircraft isn't affected by it's relationship to the earth). Ground speed, measured against infinite fixed points on earth, is used on surface travel because surface travel is parallel to the surface and what is relevant is the vehicles position on the earth's surface. You seem to be implying that the speed of the SpaceX rocket is measured relative to the launch point, unlike aircraft or ground vehicles. It makes sense overall. I'm sure airspeed figures in the calculations of fuel use and aerodynamics, but I don't think that is what was reported on the telemetry on the video.

Relative to the center of the Earth. Any lateral motion from the rotation of the Earth is trivial compared to the normal motion from the center of the Earth.

Or, maybe they measured from the Solar System frame of reference. That solves the lateral motion from the Earth rotation. I'm sure that's what they used. They shoot lasers at the center of the Sun and get the travel time for the reflection, then work the calculations off of that.


They used to use the Monolith, but once that broke apart, they had to go back to the Sun.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Speed is measured relative to something. Airspeed (used in aircraft) is measured relative to ambient air because that is what is relevant to the functioning of the machine (an aircraft isn't affected by it's relationship to the earth). Ground speed, measured against infinite fixed points on earth, is used on surface travel because surface travel is parallel to the surface and what is relevant is the vehicles position on the earth's surface. You seem to be implying that the speed of the SpaceX rocket is measured relative to the launch point, unlike aircraft or ground vehicles. It makes sense overall. I'm sure airspeed figures in the calculations of fuel use and aerodynamics, but I don't think that is what was reported on the telemetry on the video.

Speed is distance over time, nothing more, nothing less.

When you talk airspeed there is indicated airspeed, true airspeed which are two very different numbers as density altitude changes and really has little to do with your question.

What they are measuring is how far it will travel in units over a give measure of time.

If you are going 17,500mph it doesn't matter if you are in orbit, on the way to mars or in a car. Your car would melt I guess.

[tabs]

Think Korea.

[quicksix]

That's the first thing that came to mind when I saw that groundcrew in full regalia.
Wonder what those box things are on their arm?
Payload must be some toxic Shiite, maybe a weapons package or propulsion system?

[kach22i]

Get a sense of scale on that rocket.

The nose section.

X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle | Unmanned Systems Technology


https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/181426-us-militarys-mysterious-x-37b-space-plane-passes-500-days-in-orbit-but-we-still-have-no-clue-what-its-actually-doing-up-there



Launch Viewing Guide: Atlas-V Rocket To Launch X-37B Space Plane Tuesday Afternoon « AmericaSpace

[Scott R]

The main instrument in this plane that measures speed does it with radio waves if that helps.

[quicksix]

After perusing those pix that kach posted it looks like that groundcrew is wearing sop kit for fueling.
But payload?
My best guess is geosynchronous space based low orbit shark with a frikken laser beam on its head...
or maybe something else.

[svandamme]

Trump has another IP cam over Kim Jong Un's outhouse now

[CurtEgerer]

Originally Posted by svandamme

Does he come up with things, or does he run companies that hire people to come up with stuff for him?

Musk has a sheet-ton of money and 4 patents, all obscure little things related to Tesla. Edison was a poor man while inventing and had 2,332 patents. Da Vinci? I think he invented the patent.