Secret X-37B Space Plane Spotted Again by Amateur Skywatchers
March 29th, 2011Via: Space:
After an intense search, a crew of amateur satellite sleuths has spotted the U.S. Air Force’s second X-37B space plane – a robotic spacecraft that launched into orbit March 5.
The mission of the unmanned X-37B space plane, which is known officially as the Orbital Test Vehicle 2 (OTV-2), is shrouded in secrecy. The Boeing-built spacecraft is believed to be involved in reconnaissance — perhaps testing powerful sensors for a new generation of spy satellites. It looks much like a small version of NASA’s space shuttles and blasted off from the Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
While its mission is secret, the OTV-2 itself has attracted the eyes of dedicated skywatchers hoping to spot it in orbit just as they saw its predecessor – the first X-37B spacecraft, OTV-1 – during the OTV-1’s months-long flight last year.
A new video, recorded by amateur Canadian skywatcher Kevin Fetterof Brockville, Ontario, shows the OTV-2 as a bright point of light soaring across the night sky.
Fetter was successful in getting video of the OTV-2 gliding past the binary star Eta Serpentis on March 24. The OTV-2 and the star can easily be seen with the naked eye, shining at a magnitude 3 on the scale astronomers use to measure the brightness of sky objects (with the lowest numbers representing the greatest brightness).
Forgive me for asking such a basic question everybody, but by what means is light being emitted from the plane? Is it reflecting light off other sources, is it from the engines, or by some other means? I ask because… it seems strange to me that given it’s secrecy… the mil wouldn’t be able to reduce it’s visibility to the naked eye?
Cheers
Kristofer
The spacecraft is reflecting sun light. In orbit, solar panels are deployed to capture electricity to power the systems on the vehicle. That’s what we’re seeing here.
Thanks Kevin 🙂