A secret space plane from the U.S. Space Force is set to fly on its eighth mission − one aimed at demonstrating critical space technology for deep space exploration.
Just under six months post-landing, the Boeing-built X-37B Space Force space plane is slated to fly again no earlier than 11:40 p.m. Thursday, August 21, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A.
SpaceX and the Space Force haven’t revealed an exact launch time, but the Federal Aviation Administration advisory suggests the launch window runs until 5:11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 22.
Should it be needed, an additional launch window is listed as opening midnight Saturday, Aug. 23.
When did X-37B last fly?
The space plane was last launched atop a Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 28, 2023, and landed in March 2025 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California after spending more than 434 days quietly cruising around the Earth.
The space plane’s next mission is referred to as USSF-36. Very little has been revealed about the X-37B, yet occasional details about its missions are dropped by the Space Force and Boeing.
Here’s what we know about the Space Force’s X-37B space plane.
Does the Space Force X-37B carry humans?
The X-37B does not 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-37B is launched as a payload atop a rocket, encased inside protective fairing covers.
Those fairing covers are shed after liftoff, and the X-37B orbits around the Earth like a mini space shuttle. According to Boeing, the X-37B is about one-fourth the size of the space shuttle.
Upon returning to Earth, the X-37B glides onto a runway for a landing similar to a regular aircraft.
Having it glide onto the runway allows the spacecraft to be ready for flight much sooner than if it were to splashdown. Boeing’s website states that the autonomous re-entry capability of the X-37B allows for not just a smooth returns to Earth, but a fast refurbishment and turn-around time for its next flight.
What has the Boeing X-37B space plane done in space?
On top of snapping a photo of Earth from a very high orbit — an image which caught the public’s attention on social media in February 2025 — the X-37B performed a first on its last mission.
On its seventh flight, the space plane demonstrated an aerobraking maneuver. This involved using atmospheric drag to adjust its orbit while using minimal fuel.
Even in orbit, there are still traces of atmosphere which can interact with orbiting objects. While the X-37B orbits between 150-500 miles above the Earth, the highest layer of the atmosphere, known as the exosphere, extends to over 6,200 miles above the surface. And should the X-37B be crusing at 373 miles or less, that brings it into Earth’s thermosphere.
Aerobreaking was only a part of the mission. But much of what it’s testing is secret.
What is the Space Force X-37B doing on this mission?
So what is this mysterious space plane doing on this upcoming mission? Turns out it’s 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.
“First, laser communications demos 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,” Space Force commander General Chance Saltzman wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
There will also be testing of a new sensor, which will enable GPS contact where communication would have previously been difficult.
This includes beyond Earth orbit and around the moon, according to Boeing.
“This mission is about more than innovation. It’s about making our Joint Force more connected, more resilient, and ready to operate in the face of any challenge. That’s how America’s Space Force secures our Nation’s interests in, from, and to space,” said Saltzman.
When did the Space Force first launch the X-37B space plane?
The reusable space plane first launched in April 2010 atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral.
According to Boeing, the X-37B space plane has racked up over 1.3 billion miles during its seven orbital expeditions.
How long will the X-37B be in space?
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 has seen more than 4,200 days in orbit.
It is unknown how long the X-37B will be in orbit for its upcoming eighth mission. Due to the mission being for the Space Force, details remain limited.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: X-37B mission: What to know about secret Space Force space plane launch this week
Reporting by Brooke Edwards, Florida Today / Florida Today
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