SPACE-DRONE X-37B, unmanned mini shuttle in orbit

Solar powers Li-ion batteries, no fuel cell

And while the space shuttle uses a fuel cell power system;

the military vehicle is powered by a solar array and lithium-ion batteries.

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Weaponisation of space ?

Speculation about the craft's purpose has led to accusations that the project

could move us a step closer to the weaponisation of space.

Mr Payton responded: "I don't know how this could be called weaponisation of space. It's just an updated version of the space shuttle type of activities in space. We, the Air Force, have a suite of military missions in space and this new vehicle could potentially help us do those missions better."

Dr Johnson-Freese told BBC News: "At one point they were talking about an ability to loiter in space. The Air Force has a long history of wanting a spaceplane with those kinds of capabilities."

"If in fact it lives up to its speculated hype, it could be a manoeuvrable satellite. You could move it to, for example, hover over the straits of Taiwan and it could evade attempts to shoot it down. It could do a lot of things that up until this point have been mostly fiction."

Spy missions and “Instant Messaging” missile

In addition to being an orbital laboratory, the space-plane can also be used spy missions

and probably for deploying weapons as well. The unmanned drone was lifted into orbit on

top of the venerable Atlas V rocket.

Boeing space-drone new heat tiles

Built by Boeing, the new space-drone is said to have a new generation of protective tiles. These composite-ceramic tiles can withstand the extreme temperatures of re-entry, often exceeding 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit

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