Space Force's Secretive X-37B Is Returning to Space With New Tech

Just a few months after wrapping up its seventh test flight in orbit, Space Force’s experimental vehicle known as X-37B is ready for another go. For its upcoming mission, the spaceplane will test new technologies meant to bolster military capabilities in space, such as a navigational sensor that could replace GPS.

The U.S. Space Force is set to launch the Boeing-built orbital test vehicle, designated as OTV-8, on August 21 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida  aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. For flight number eight, X-37B will carry an unidentified number of payloads, including a laser communications technology demonstration and a quantum sensor for navigation in space, according to the Space Force.

The laser communications demonstration will use infrared light to transmit data and involve commercial satellites in low Earth orbit. Laser communication packs more data into each transmission, and it’s also considered more secure than the more commonly used radio frequency transmissions.

OTV-8 will also carry a quantum inertial sensor, an extremely precise device that measures acceleration using the principles of quantum mechanics. The device would enable navigation without having to rely on GPS. “This technology is useful for navigation in GPS-denied environments and consequently will enhance the navigational resilience of U.S. spacecraft in the face of current and emerging threats,” the Space Force wrote in a statement.

The X-37B launched on December 28, 2023, for its seventh mission, spending a total of 434 days in orbit before returning to Earth on March 7. Its last mission was significantly shorter than flight number six, which spent a record-breaking 908 days in orbit before landing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in November 2022. The spaceplane beat its previous record of 780 consecutive days in orbit. Rather than focusing on the longevity of its missions, the Space Force seems to be gearing toward a faster turnaround of its reusable vehicle.

The Space Force is in a race with China to develop the capabilities of its spaceplane. China is in the midst of testing its own spaceplane, Shenlong, which completed its third mission in late 2024 after spending 268 days in orbit. Both countries have shared little information about their respective vehicles, although the Space Force has recently started revealing more about its spaceplane’s mission objectives since it made its debut in 2010.