From: Ad 

It hadtahappen..

http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn10617-us-air-force-to-build-unmanned-sp
ace-planes.html

"The US Air Force is working on an unmanned space plane based on
NASA's X-37 programme, which at one time was planned to be the basis for
the space shuttle's successor. If successful, the plane would be the first
spacecraft since the shuttle that would be capable of returning experiments
back to Earth for analysis.

The reusable X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) would be about one-fourth the
size of the space shuttle and would deliver objects into low-Earth orbit in
its experimental bay, which is much like the shuttle's payload bay.

It could then continue orbiting for months before bringing the objects back
to Earth. That would allow it to test how satellite components react to
long stays in space.  "


Riiiiight so it's just to ummm....put things up there......

Not that you could plonk missiles into it's bomb bay umm I
mean......"payload bay"...which could then either head earthwards
or off to other "space vehicles" so as to "dominate the near
earth environment".


Again though...design it as a General Purpose freighter & then see what
it can....carry.... e.g. you could plonk a comms hub/repeater in the
payload bay, flip it round so the payload is pointed earthwards & voila
network coverage for the men on the ground.


Adam

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