US to launch a new secretive space plane The United States is
planning a new launch of its tiny, pilotless military space
plane as part of a futuristic Air Force program that has fuelled
speculation over its mission. The X-37B, which weighs five
tonnes and is 29 feet (8.9 meters) long, can return material to
Earth in the way of the retired shuttle Orbiter program but is
designed to stay in orbit for much longer at 270 days. The last
X-37B returned in June after orbiting for 469 days in a test of
endurance. The United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between
Boeing and Lockheed Martin, approved the X-37B at Cape Canaveral
in Florida after finding no danger following an anomaly during a
separate launch two months ago. The company said in a statement
that a Global Positioning System satellite was put into orbit as
expected on October 4 but that a fuel leak took place inside the
thrust chamber, triggering an investigation. Patrick Air Force
Base gave notice of a hazard from a launch between 10:45 am to
5:15 pm (1