A United States military mini-shuttle, the X-37B, launched on Thursday night from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a SpaceX rocket. This mission marks the shuttle’s eighth flight since its first launch in 2010. Boeing built the unmanned, reusable X-37B space plane. It measures 9 meters in length and has a 4.5-meter wingspan.
The mission, led by the US Space Force, aims to test laser-based communication systems. It will also explore safe navigation methods without using GPS. Many details about the mission are classified, keeping much of its objectives secret.
The duration of the mission remains unclear. Previous X-37B flights have lasted anywhere from a few months to over a year. The shuttle’s last mission, which ended in March 2025, lasted more than a year. These flights are crucial to the United States’ secretive space research program, advancing the nation’s space capabilities.
