The Returnable Orbital Test Vehicle Launched Aboard A Spacex Falcon 9 From Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

The X37B Orbital Test Vehicle launched this past week, August 21, on its eighth mission, lifting off at 11:50 p.m. ET aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The vehicle is now reported as 'healthy' on orbit and proceeding with standard checkout.

Less than six months after completing its seventh mission with a landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., on March 7, 2025, the spaceplane is back in space. This mission includes an integrated service module to increase payload capacity for experimentation activities on orbit.

The X-37B is hosting several technology demonstrations from government partners on this mission, include laser communications and a quantum inertial sensor designed to support navigation when GPS is unavailable. On its previous mission, the vehicle executed a first of its kind aerobraking maneuver to change orbits while conserving propellant.

"As we continue to set the pace for space, I am incredibly proud of our team's professionalism and persistence supporting this launch,” said Space Launch Delta 45 Commander Col. Brian Chatman. “X-37B continues to prove itself as a premier testing platform aiding in experiments to better understand our future in space. These experiments, X-37B itself, and Space Launch Delta 45's ability to perform fast, flexible launches all play crucial roles in bolstering our resilience and enhancing our ability to swiftly adapt to the challenges in space of today and tomorrow," Chatman added.

The X-37B is a government–industry partnership led by the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, with the U.S. Space Force overseeing operations. The X-37B is a dynamic and responsive spacecraft responsible for conducting a range of tests and experiments that expedite the development of critical next-generation technologies and operational concepts for reusable space capabilities. Since first flight in 2010, the orbital test vehicle has completed seven missions and accumulated more than 4,200 days in space, returning after each flight for inspection and augmentation.

FMI: www.spaceforce.mil