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Science & Technology
SpaceX will launch next X-37 Air Force Mission!
2017-06-07
Posted by:3dc

#2  Someone should ask Mr Musk how green his launch vehicle is.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2017-06-07 21:41  

#1  On Nasaspaceflight dot com "Clongton" said:
The Air Force has had it's sights set on a reusable launch vehicle for some time, letting study contracts over the years for winged fly-back boosters, RTLS boosters, etc. SpaceX has now stepped into the gap with such a launcher so I imagine the Space Command wing is salivating over the possibilities. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Air Force eventually do a block buy of F9's to be used exclusively for their needs; flown, recovered, refurbished and stored near both CCAFS and Vandenberg. My time in the Air Force taught me that they mean exactly what they say, so when they say "rapid response" they may very well be -reaching- for the capability to grab a flight-proven booster out of the barn on really short notice, mount and integrate whatever payload they want up there, fuel up and launch. Turn-around time measured in days (eventually in hours), not weeks. Remember that Elon has stated over and over again that his turn-around time goals are airline-style; fuel, launch, recover, refuel, relaunch, re-recover, do it again. Nowhere near that yet but it would not surprise me in the least if that is a shared goal with the Air Force.
Posted by: 3dc   2017-06-07 15:53  

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