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On 29 November 2011, the U.S. Air Force announced that it would extend USA-226 beyond the 270-day baseline duration. [68] In April 2012, General William L. Shelton of the Air Force Space Command declared the ongoing mission a "spectacular success". [69] On 30 May 2012, the Air Force stated that the X-37B would land at Vandenberg AFB in June 2012.
Space Shuttle Atlantis takes flight on the STS-27 mission on December 2, 1988. The Shuttle took about 8.5 minutes to accelerate to a speed of over 27,000 km/h (17000 mph) and achieve orbit. A drag chute is deployed by Endeavour as it completes a mission of almost 17 days in space on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base in southern California ...
The United States Air Force (USAF) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) participated in the development of the Space Shuttle from its official inception in 1969. To save money, the shuttle was intended to serve as the United States' national launch system for all civilian, military, and ...
Space Shuttle missions to be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California were planned to conclude with a landing at Runway 12/30 at the site. [ 30 ] [ 31 ] The runway was lengthened to support shuttle landings. [ 32 ]
That same year, the project was transferred from DARPA to the United States Air Force Space Command, which then built another model, the X-37B. Also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), two X ...
The Air Force expected to use the Space Shuttle to launch large satellites, and required it to be capable of lifting 29,000 kg (65,000 lb) to an eastward LEO or 18,000 kg (40,000 lb) into a polar orbit. The satellite designs also required that the Space Shuttle have a 4.6 by 18 m (15 by 60 ft) payload bay.
In 1972, Vandenberg AFB was chosen as the western launch site for Air Force shuttle launches. Use of SLC-6 was approved in 1975, and re-construction of the former MOL launch facility occurred between January 1979 and July 1986 as SLC-6 was rebuilt to accommodate the space shuttle. [8] There were several reasons for using SLC-6: [7]
FILE - A solider wears a U.S. Space Force uniform during a ceremony for U.S. Air Force airmen transitioning to U.S. Space Force guardian designations at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., Feb. 12, 2021.