USAF spaceplane back on Earth after mystery 2-year jaunt in orbit. Jeepers creepers, what has it been doing up here? While the past seven days were light on launches, space fans had plenty to enjoy, with the Air Force's mystery mini Space Shuttle finally returning from space and the James Webb Space Telescope inching closer to blast-off. Happy Halloween! Mysterious Space Shuttle touches down after two-year orbital mission It has been a while …
"The sky is no longer the limit for the Air Force"
So where does the sky end then? Looking from Earth at night I can view galaxies far, far away that are certainly 'in the sky'.
According to the ever truthful 'net it's "the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth." which basically corroborates my thoughts.
Have they developed a Stargate so they don't have to use the sky any more?
Funnily enough, This is not a new idea. Only the other day I read a very old Sci-Fi short story that basically included this idea and expanded on to suggest that it is the presence of the Moon, gradually peeling away the Earths atmosphere over eons of time by flying through it, that is what gave us the atmosphere that we have today rather than the much thicker one of Venus.
My son came home today from college, distraught.
"What's the matter?" i asked.
"I went to see the Careers Adviser today."
"But that's good" i said. "So why the tears?"
"Well, she said what with my qualifications and expected grades, the sky's the limit. But, but i wanted to be an astronaut."
"Have they developed a Stargate so they don't have to use the sky any more?"
The TV series Stargate, was in fact a cunning ploy to divert attention from the US military's Wormhole X-Treme program, by hiding it in plain sight in the guise of a science fiction TV entertainment serial
"US and others have plenty of satellites for that. Better equipped for the task and there's no need to bring them back on earth to retrieve the pictures for quite some time already"
Indeed, and that makes me think that there are other factors at play here as well. While the Boeing X-37 is currently being operated as a reusable robotic spacecraft, it also gives every impression of being able to be converted to a two person crewed vehicle and I'd be will to bet that the necessary plans and conversion kit have already been prepared.
"US and others have plenty of satellites for that. Better equipped for the task and there's no need to bring them back on earth to retrieve the pictures for quite some time already."
They're not bringing it back to retrieve the pictures - as you say, that problem was solved long ago.
The limitation for spy satellites such as the KH-11 series is fuel for adjusting their orbit to cover changing areas of interest. A retrievable (and presumably reusable) platform such as this one allows for maintenance, including refueling of the in-orbit manœuvring systems, as well as hardware updates to the surveillance payload.
US and others have plenty of satellites for that. Better equipped for the task and there's no need to bring them back on earth to retrieve the pictures for quite some time already.
I expect that their spy sats do need refuelling from time to time. A small vehicle carrying fuel supplies (and perhaps other parts if the sat design allows a robot to easily replace modules) is a lot more difficult to trace than something as large as a manned capsule. It may also have been used to ferry fuel from other sites in orbit - perhaps raiding those musky astronomer-annoyers so the USTLA doesn't have to launch supplies of fuel themselves :)
So Parmitano, who was nearly the first man to drown in space, is rewarded for his efforts on his last mission by being submerged in a swimming pool for 100 hours! Has he annoyed someone?
I guess he proved he's a steely-eyed missile-man with balls of steel the last time he was up there. Let's hope he has better luck with space suits.
Indeed, although for preference I'd choose the one-inch-to-the-mile map of Manchester from the '60s which had all the Beeching lines marked with white "disused railway station" symbols.
I'll be on Warrington Bank Quay Low Level forever kissing nostalgia goodbye.
Funny how the spaceplane just landed then suddenly Bbama is making comments about being 'woke'.
I think they stuffed him on the spaceplane so he wouldn't embarass Trump (by calling him out on his stupidity and lack of diplomacy).
Fortunately Trump handled that all by himself.
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