First Military Space-plane Launches into Space

[Silver Knight]

BBC News - X-37B military spaceplane launches from Cape Canaveral

A prototype spaceplane developed for the US military has been launched into orbit from Florida.
The X-37B, which has been likened to a scaled-down space shuttle, blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 0052 BST (1952 EDT).
The military vehicle is unpiloted and will carry out the first autonomous re-entry and landing in the history of the US space programme.
The spacecraft can return experiments to Earth for inspection and analysis.
At 9m long (29ft), 4.5m (15ft), the reusable spaceplane is about one quarter the size of the shuttle, with a large engine mounted at the rear of the ship for orbit changing.
And while the space shuttle uses a fuel cell power system; the military vehicle is powered by a solar array and lithium-ion batteries.

[Bagelz]

The new X-37B is rumored to have a playing part with the new United States Global Strike space device, but who knows what it's for.

[Zstan]

The Futurama era..begun it has.

[Locke]

I give us a few centuries until the air above us looks like EVE

[Szenti]

The first... And the last?

[Goose]

Screwed we are.