-
Like other suborbital providers, XCOR eventually wants to develop an orbital vehicle.
CNN: Private space pioneers: We're inheritors of Apollo legacy
-
Sierra Nevada Space Systems showed video of a successful flight of their Dream Catcher orbital space vehicle this year.
FORBES: Private Space Transportation Reaching New Heights
-
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is led by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, and is designed to demonstrate reusable spacecraft technologies for America's future in space and operating experiments which can be returned to, and examined, on Earth.
ENGADGET: USAF relaunches its first X-37B on a slightly less mysterious spaceflight
-
This appears to be the mindset of the Air Force regarding its experimental X-37B space plane, the billion-dollar robotic vehicle's orbital flight being extended beyond the 270 days it was initially designed for.
ENGADGET: Air Force X-37B space plane books additional time on orbital cruise, orders another margarita
-
While the Air Force has stated that the vehicle is meant only for conducting orbital science experiments, analysts say the X-37B is capable of much more, and could perform additional tasks such as acting as an orbital spy, sneaking up on and tampering with enemy satellites or hauling small batches of supplies to the International Space Station.
ENGADGET: Air Force X-37B space plane books additional time on orbital cruise, orders another margarita