Defence

The US Defense Advanced Re­search Projects Agency (DARPA) is reviewing data to see why the X-37 approach and landing test vehicle (ALTV) rolled off the end of the runway at Edwards AFB, California after a “flawless” autonomous landing from a drop test over the Mojave desert on 7 April.

The ALTV is being used to test technology that could be used in the development of commercial and military reusable space vehicles for a wide variety of missions from on-orbit satellite repair to next-generation reusable launch vehicles. The vehicle was dropped by the Scaled Composites-developed White Knight carrier aircraft within the Edwards AFB test range at an altitude of around 37,000ft (11,300m) and made a fully autonomous approach towards the base where it landed on runway 22 at 07:31 local time.

However, DARPA says the ALTV’s “autonomous landing sequence and initial touchdown were flawless and fully according to plan, but the ALTV did not stop in the distance expected and rolled off the end of the runway. There was minor damage to the ALTV.”

GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES