Boeing’s X-37B Spaceplane Is Back in Orbit

Autonomous, reusable craft is designed to launch classified, cutting-edge technology for the U.S. Space Force.

Jack Daleo

Friday, August 22, 2025 at 03:05 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches Boeing’s X-37B spaceplane on its eighth mission from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Space Force has launched Boeing's X-37B spaceplane on its eighth classified mission (OTV-8), marking its return to orbit as an autonomous, reusable test vehicle.
The mission's objectives include evaluating satellite laser communications, navigation in GPS-denied environments, and testing a high-performing quantum inertial sensor.
The X-37B's ability to return experiments enables faster learning, strengthens space architectures, and enhances the Space Force's resilience and adaptability in challenging orbital conditions.

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Within six months of touching down from a 434-day orbital mission in March, Boeing’s X-37B spaceplane is back in action.

The autonomous, reusable orbital test vehicle (OTV) lifted off just before midnight EDT on Thursday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, strapped to a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission, dubbed OTV-8 or USSF-36, is the X-37B’s eighth mission for the U.S. Space Force and its predecessor, Air Force Space Command. It was ordered in 2021 under a National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 contract awarded to Boeing.