The debate has sputtered along intermittently ever since, with some observers detecting patterns in red shifts but
most astronomers dismissing these as mere coincidences caused by the lack of accurate red shift data.
Surveillance is the X-37B's
most likely task, and the plane's trajectory — confirmed when amateur
astronomers spotted it in a moderately inclined, 40 - degree orbit in May — supports that view.Those sightings «
dismissed the idea that the U.S. military was developing technology to put something into orbit undetected,» Weeden notes.