In a late-night launch, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket propelled the U.S. Space Force’s clandestine X-37B space plane into orbit, marking its eighth mission to test cutting-edge technologies, including laser communications and quantum navigation, amid growing global competition in space.
On Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 11:50 p.m. EDT (0350 UTC on August 22), a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket illuminated the night sky above NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the U.S. Space Force’s secretive X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) on its eighth mission, designated USSF-36. The launch, executed from Launch Complex 39A, marked the third time a SpaceX rocket has lofted the reusable space plane, following previous missions on a Falcon 9 (OTV-5) and a Falcon Heavy (OTV-7).
The X-37B, a Boeing-built uncrewed spacecraft resembling a miniature NASA space shuttle, measures approximately 29 feet (8.8 meters) in length with a wingspan of 15 feet (4.6 meters). Powered by solar energy, it is designed to conduct long-duration missions in orbit, testing advanced technologies and returning to Earth for runway landings at either Kennedy Space Center or Vandenberg Space Force Base. The spacecraft has logged over 4,208 days in orbit across its previous seven missions, with its longest flight, OTV-6, lasting 908 days.
The U.S. Space Force highlighted that OTV-8 focuses on demonstrating next-generation technologies, including high-bandwidth inter-satellite laser communications and a quantum inertial sensor, described as the highest-performing sensor of its kind tested in space. These experiments aim to enhance the resilience, efficiency, and security of U.S. space-based communications architectures and enable navigation in GPS-denied environments, critical for operations in Earth orbit and cislunar space.
While most mission details remain classified, the X-37B has previously conducted experiments for NASA, such as studying the effects of space radiation on plant seeds to support future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. The U.S. Space Force emphasized that OTV-8 will further explore new orbital regimes and space domain awareness technologies, building on the success of OTV-7, which tested aerobraking maneuvers to adjust its orbit using minimal fuel.
The Falcon 9 booster, tail number B1092, completed its sixth flight, successfully landing at Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, marking SpaceX’s 490th booster recovery. The mission underscores the growing partnership between SpaceX and the U.S. Space Force, as well as the strategic importance of the X-37B in advancing U.S. space capabilities amid global competition, notably with China’s Shenlong space plane.
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