Will the X-37B Become a US Space Force Armed Robotic Space Attack Drone?

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

The Pentagon has spent many years regarding the space domain as a “sanctuary” for international cooperation, scientific exploration and discovery, for both the future of mankind and global partnerships. 

This DoD stance was maintained for many years, for both ethics and future society, yet many great power rival nations have spent recent years aggressively weaponizing the space domain. China has been testing and firing Anti-Satellite (ASAT) weapons for at least ten years, and both Russia and China continue to take ambitious steps to increase a space war capability. 

Given the severity of this threat circumstance, the Pentagon has in more recent years accelerated an effort to ensure the US can defend itself if needed in the realm of space. Of course this includes satellite connectivity, the addition of hundreds of high-throughput Medium and Low-Earth Orbit satellites and even the possibilities for lasers, optical communication, space drones and manned spacecraft war platforms. 

X-37B Spacecraft

Given the threat equation and potential technological sensitivity of spacewar systems, many details may not be available for security reasons.  This being said, there is an evolving robotic space vehicle now being developed more fully for both scientific and military purposes with large-scale Air Force involvement. 

An attack space drone may sound a bit like a vessel from Star Wars, but it might actually be possible in the real world, based on a space “drop” and the successful flight of Boeing’s X-37 robotic spacecraft.

Called the Orbital Test Vehicle, the space robot is thrust into space by a launch vehicle and then lands as a space vehicle upon re-entering the atmosphere.