The Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle has begun its eighth mission, launching at 11:50 p.m. ET on August 21, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center. The reusable spaceplane is healthy in orbit and undergoing standard checkout, just six months after completing its seventh flight.
This mission features an integrated service module to expand payload capacity and will host technology demonstrations for U.S. government partners, including the Defense Innovation Unit and the Air Force Research Laboratory. Key experiments involve laser communications and a quantum inertial sensor for navigation in GPS-denied environments.
The X-37B previously demonstrated an aerobraking manoeuvre to change orbits while conserving fuel. Since its first flight in 2010, the vehicle has completed seven missions, spending more than 4,200 days in space, and always returns for inspection and upgrades.
The program is a government–industry partnership led by the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, with the U.S. Space Force overseeing operations and Boeing providing design, integration, and operations support.
