Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:43:06 -0400
From: "Mike B." <yahoo at omniphile.com>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>,
 wsfa Official List <wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: X37
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Michael Walsh wrote:
>> "Mike B." <yahoo at omniphile.com> 4/21/2010 1:20 PM >>>
>> mark wrote:
>>> Story:
>>> US air force set to launch unmanned shuttle
>> Sorry, but if it's unmanned, it isn't a shuttle, regardless of what it
>> looks like.
>
> Ok ... since it's (supposedly) going back and forth, back and forth, back =
> and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, =
> back and forth, back and forth, back and forth between Earth and stuff in =
> space .... then call it a shuttlecock.
>
> Thwack!

Ok, if you like.  Though it isn't a shuttle, and probably doesn't have a
cockpit.

The Space Transportation System (STS) got the common use name "shuttle"
because its job was to shuttle astronauts between ground and orbit.

The Air Force unmanned thingy looks like it's just an experimental
pilotless drone with space capability.  They are testing re-usable
ground to orbit technology with it.  I doubt if it's going to see any
more utility use than the DC-X did.

http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/dcx.htm

-- Mike B.