Another Shuttle Hangar falls under Boeing’s control – this one for the secretive X-37B spaceplane

It was announced on Florida Today that NASA's Orbiter Processing Facility 1 will be used to process the U.S. Air Force's X-37B spaceplane. Photo Credit: Jason Rhian / SpaceFlight Insider

Jason Rhian

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla — It looks like Boeing is making up for lost time. According to a report by James Dean appearing on the website for Florida Today the aerospace company, fresh off the heels of signing the lease for the space shuttle’s Orbiter Processing Facility 3 (OPF-3), will be taking control of Orbiter Processing Facility 1 (OPF-1). Whereas Boeing will use OPF-3 for the company’s CST-100 commercial space “taxi” – OPF-1 will have a more clandestine task in store for it.

According to Florida Today’s report, the acquisition of the structure, which has been dormant since the departure of space shuttle Atlantis in 2012, will be used to process the U.S. Air Force’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. Naturally, given the secretive nature of the X-37B program, no comment has been forthcoming regarding this recent revelation from the U.S. Air Force. This effort could provide a possible boon to Florida’s struggling Space Coast. Economically, the end of the space shuttle era severely impacted the region. While there have been statements that NASA’s commercial efforts would bring jobs to the Space Coast – to date an appreciable change has not yet taken place.

For the U.S. Air Force’s X-37B program, this will mark a departure from the current processing flow. Ordinarily the mini-shuttle launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 501 rocket. After an undisclosed amount of time, the X-37B (also known as an Orbital Test Vehicle) lands at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Having OPF-1 utilized so as to process these unmanned spacecraft (the first flight was conducted in 2010) could mean that, rather than having to ship the X-37B back from California – missions could launch from and land back in Florida – at the Shuttle Landing Facility located at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The U.S. Air Force is researching the potential cost savings by altering to this method. Moreover, neither the U.S. Air Force nor Boeing revealed many specifics as to the amount of jobs this move might create.

To date there have been three OTV flights from Cape Canaveral, two have concluded, the third of which is still on orbit. Each X-37B spacecraft is derived from Boeing’s X-40. An earlier flight test article of the spacecraft, the X-37A, was carried aloft by the WhiteKnightOne aircraft. Nearly 30 feet long and with a 15-foot wingspan, the mini space shuttle could almost fit inside one of the payload bays of NASA’s retired space shuttles.

In 2011, under much fanfare, it was announced that OPF-3 would be used for processing of Boeing’s CST-100. The CST-100 is designed to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Boeing finalized that contract last year. NASA has been directed to open facilities it does not have a current use for to commercial users. As mentioned here, SpaceX will be taking over historic Launch Complex 39A, which was where many iconic missions got their start – including the launch of Apollo 11. It is likely that in the coming months, more such announcements will be made.

This article uses content written by James Dean, originally appearing on Florida Today and can be viewed here: OPF-1

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