SpaceX launches secretive US military spacecraft

August 22, 2025 / 11:52 PM

Sharjah 24 – AFP: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched late Thursday night, carrying the United States military’s classified X-37B space drone. The launch occurred at 11:50 PM local time (0350 GMT Friday) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, lighting up the night sky over Florida’s Space Coast.

Mission objectives and experimental technologies

The US Space Force stated that the mission will involve “a wide range of test and experimentation objectives.” These include next-generation technologies such as laser communications and what it described as “the highest performing quantum inertial sensor ever tested in space.”

According to officials, “Mission 8” aims to enhance the resilience, efficiency, and security of US space-based communications infrastructure.

The X-37B: A mini space shuttle

The X-37B is an autonomous orbital test vehicle about the size of a small bus. It resembles a miniature version of the retired space shuttles and has been in operation since 2010.

Designed for the US Air Force by Boeing under United Launch Alliance, the spacecraft is 30 feet (9 meters) long, has a 15-foot wingspan, and is powered by solar panels.

Previous missions and NASA involvement

On prior flights, the X-37B has conducted various experiments for NASA. Its highly secretive missions have long been a part of the Pentagon’s strategy to test and develop space-based defense technologies.