Space shuttle program is over right? Not for that *other* shuttle...

We thought the venerable Space Shuttles were done, dusted, and being prettied up for museum displays right?

It seems there is still one - mini - shuttle up there going around and around. In fact it has been up there for nine months.

http://www.therefinedgeek.com.au/index.php/tag/x-37b/

This is the Pentagon's secret robotic shuttle known as the X-27B. In fact, this shuttle is so secret that - apart from having its own public name - it's been covered in US media and the US Government even did a story about it on their own "Pentagon Channel" television network. So US Government - what part of the concept "secret" is it that you are having difficulty with??


Keen watchers of "The West Wing" would also recall that this secret shuttle was the subject of the downfall of Toby Ziegler.

Photo: Duncan Waldron

The X-37B was to be brought back to Earth next week, but the 'secret' mission has been extended. It is apparently doing a whole bunch of science up there. Or perhaps a whole lot of implied threat to other nations like Russia and China?

In the meantime, it got into frame of a photo being taken of Comet Lovejoy, as posted by the Brisbane Planetarium.