The latest mission of the U.S. Space Force's mysterious X-37B space plane is underway.
The robotic X-37B lifted atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 11:50 p.m. EDT (0350 GMT on August 22, 2025).
The X-37B returned to Earth this month, but details of its time in space remain hazy, to say the least.
The craft in question is the eerily named X-37B, an experimental and highly secretive US government project that has been quietly unfolding for more than a decade.
Whether allowing, today’s launch will mark its eight missions in space, after racking up 4,208 days in orbit on its previous flights.
Details about the X-37B and its mission remain scarce.
Over the years, only drips of information have emerged, allowing us - the unwriting public - to piece together fragments of what’s happening above our heads.
The X-37B is not new, per se, but its capabilities put it at the cutting edge of space exploration and defense.
Built by Boeing, the spacecraft was born out of NASA’s X-37 program, which began in 1999, although the X-37B’s first flight wasn’t until 2010.
The X-37B doesn’t carry humans-only Space Force experiments aimed at pushing American space technology.
The uncrewed X-37B is a bit like NASA’s Space Shuttle-but is launched differently. Instead of being mounted onto boosters like the space shuttle, the X-33B is launched as a payload atop a rocket, encased inside protective fairing covers.
After shedding its protective fairing covers, the X-37B blasts into orbit, cursing around the Earth like a compact space shuttle.
At roughly one-fourth the size of its legendary predecessor, this sleek spacecraft packs a big punch in a small package.
Upon returning to Earth, the X-37B glides onto a runway for a landing similar to a regular aircraft.
Boeing’s website states that the autonomous re-entry capability of the X-37B allows for not just a smooth return to Earth, but a fast refurbishment and turn-around time for its next flight.
So, what is this mysterious space plane doing on this upcoming mission? Turns out to be mostly about testing means of communication and navigation in orbit.
According to Boeing, the X-37B will be carrying experiments for the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Defense Innovation Unit.
The Space Force Commander General Chance Saltzman posted a tweet on X, sharing some mission details, he wrote:
“First, laser communications demons in Low Earth Orbit will contribute to more efficient and secure satellite communications in the future.
The shorter wavelength of infrared light allows more data to be sent with each transmission.
The reusable space plane first launched in April 2010 atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral.
As per the details on Boeing website, the X-37B space plane has racked up over 1.3 billion miles during its seven orbital expeditions.
While that last mission was more than 430 days, some missions are longer than others.
FLORIDA TODAY previously reported the sixth flight of the X-37B lasted 908 days. In total, the X-37B will be in orbit for its eighth mission.
