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Summary

Spaceplanes: Niche in Space Transportation

This is a X-37B news story, published by Ars Technica, that relates primarily to The US Air Force's news.

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spaceplanes
Ars Technica

Ars Technica

•

Science

Science

Rocket Report: SpaceX’s expansion at Vandenberg; India’s PSLV fails in flight

Ars Technica
Summary
Nutrition label

86% Informative

Since the Space Shuttle, spaceplanes have, at best, been a niche part of the space transportation business.

The US Air Force's uncrewed X-37B and a similar vehicle operated by China 's military are the only spaceplanes to reach orbit since the last shuttle flight in 2011 .

Today , SpaceX routinely reuses capsules and rockets that look much more like conventional space vehicles.

VR Score

89

Informative language

90

Neutral language

41

Article tone

formal

Language

English

Language complexity

47

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

medium-lived

External references

12

https://europeanspaceflight.com/cnes-awards-contract-to-french-spaceplane-startup/https://x.com/cas_space/status/1925045449771102365https://spacenews.com/china-to-launch-tianwen-2-asteroid-sampling-mission-on-may-28/https://spacenews.com/landspace-launches-6-satellites-with-enhanced-zhuque-2-rocket/https://www.dawnaerospace.com/latest-news/supersonichttps://spaceflightnow.com/2025/05/19/department-of-the-air-force-issues-draft-documents-for-new-spacex-launch-site-at-vandenberg-space-force-base/https://armedservices.house.gov/uploadedfiles/14_may_on_fy26_national_security_space_programs_-_maj_gen_purdy_approved_for_release.pdfhttps://arstechnica.wufoo.com/forms/launch-stories/https://aviationweek.com/space/launch-vehicles-propulsion/ses-use-impulse-space-expedited-orbithttps://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Mk-IIAuroraTakeoff-StockimageJuly2024.jpghttps://aviationweek.com/space/commercial-space/dawn-aerospace-begins-selling-suborbital-aurora-spaceplanehttps://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-plus/defence-security/explained-what-went-wrong-with-isros-pslv-and-what-it-means-for-indias-national-security/articleshow/121310084.cms

Source diversity

10

europeanspaceflight.comx.comspacenews.comwww.dawnaerospace.comspaceflightnow.comarmedservices.house.govarstechnica.wufoo.comaviationweek.comcdn.arstechnica.nettimesofindia.indiatimes.com

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