Outer space

Air Force To Launch Secret X-37B Space Mission On Atlas V Rocket

The U.S. Air Force is preparing to launch a secret payload into space Wednesday after completing a Launch Readiness Review on its X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. The unmanned craft is scheduled to take off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard an Atlas V rocket built by United Launch Alliance, though questions about its purpose remain. The robotic X-37B is a solar-powered space plane that looks remarkably similar to a smaller version of the traditional NASA space shuttle.