Replace Aug. 22, 9:47 a.m. EDT: Added quotes and details about different nationwide safety missions.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket thundered off launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Area Heart in Florida shortly earlier than midnight, carrying with it a army spaceplane referred to as the X-37B Orbital Take a look at Automobile.
The launch Thursday night time kicked off the eighth mission for this system, which started operational flights in April 2010. United States Area Pressure (USSF) officers confirmed separation of the Boeing-built spacecraft within the hours following liftoff at 11:50 p.m. EDT (0350 UTC on Aug. 22).
The mission, dubbed USSF-36, was the second of two missions tasked to SpaceX as a part of the second order 12 months (OY2) of missions inside its Nationwide Safety Area Launch (NSSL) Part 2 contract, which is managed by the U.S. Area Pressure’s Area Techniques Command (SSC). The opposite OY2 mission was NROL-69, which launched on March 24, 2025, from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Area Pressure Station.
SpaceX acquired $179.7 million for the launches of each missions, in keeping with numbers from SSC.
“This was our fourth NSSL Part 2 mission thus far this 12 months, and we’ve extra coming proper behind it,” mentioned Col. Ryan Hiserote, senior materiel chief, Launch Execution for Area Techniques Command Assured Entry to Area group. “In reality, we’ve extra missions queued for launch over the following 12 months than in any prior 12-month interval within the historical past of the NSSL program…and we welcome this problem. Placing modern capabilities equivalent to these in orbit builds United States energy within the area area and will increase our nation’s total warfighting functionality.”
Roughly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the SpaceX Falcon 9 booster, tail quantity 1092, accomplished its sixth flight with a landing at Touchdown Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Area Pressure Station, accompanied by a sonic increase.
Up to now in 2025, SpaceX and the U.S. authorities have launched three NSSL missions. NROL-69 was the primary, adopted by the launch of the International Positioning System (GPS) III-7 Area Automobile 08 in Might. SSC mentioned it’s working with SpaceX to additional enhance its launch cadence to get extra nationwide safety payloads on orbit with out risking operational security for personnel or payloads.
“Our One Falcon Workforce did an outstanding job executing our impartial mission assurance duties sooner, on the similar degree of confidence, and in parallel with preparations for our subsequent mission,” mentioned Dr. Walt Lauderdale, chief of Falcon Techniques and Operations, and mission director for the U.S.-36 launch. “Our wonderful relationship with our launch service supplier and our deep understanding of this launch system make us extra environment friendly and the end result would be the throughput required to fulfill rising nationwide wants.”
SpaceX additionally already launched its two missions from OY3. One was the U.S.-62 mission, carrying the primary Climate System Comply with-on – Microwave (WSF-M) satellite tv for pc, which launched from Vandenberg Area Pressure Base again on April 11, 2024. The opposite was USSF-124, which carried six satellites for the Missile Protection Company (MDA) and the Area Improvement Company (SDA) and launched on Feb. 14, 2024.
There may be yet one more mission as a part of that third order 12 months, valued at $309.7 million: SDA-Tranche 1A.
There are two operational spaceplanes within the X-37B fleet. The fourth flight of X-37B car 1, additionally referred to by the mission names of OTV-8 or USSF-36, started about five-and-a-half months after X-37B car 2 landed on Runway 12 at Vandenberg Area Pressure Base on March 7.
- X-37B 1
- OTV-1 April 22, 2010 – Dec. 3, 2010 (224 days)
- OTV-3 Dec. 11, 2012 – Oct. 17, 2014 (675 days)
- OTV-6 Might 17, 2020 – Nov. 12, 2022 (909 days)
- X-37B 2
- OTV-2 March 5, 2011 – June 16, 2012 (469 days)
- OTV-4 Might 20, 2015 – Might 7, 2017 (718 days)
- OTV-5 Sep. 7, 2017 – Oct. 27, 2019 (780 days)
“OTV-8 exemplifies the X-37B’s standing because the U.S. Area Pressure’s premier take a look at platform for the essential area applied sciences of tomorrow,” mentioned Air Pressure Speedy Capabilities Workplace (AFRCO) Performing Director William Blauser, in a prelaunch assertion. “By means of its mission-focused innovation, the X-37B continues to redefine the artwork of the attainable within the closing frontier of area.”
A lot concerning the X-37B program stays secret, together with the experiments performed throughout most of its flights. Nevertheless, Area Pressure officers made some extent to emphasise two demonstrations on this flight: laser communication and quantum navigation.
The high-bandwidth inter-satellite laser communications know-how onboard the OTV-8 flight will work together with what the us describes as “proliferated industrial satellite tv for pc networks in Low Earth Orbit.” It’s unclear although if this demonstration will contain the SpaceX-built Starshield satellites operated by the federal government, SpaceX’s Starlink satellites or one other industrial satellite tv for pc constellation.
The us mentioned that speaking by means of shorter wavelength infrared mild permits a rise within the quantity of information that may be moved with every transmission and accomplish that in a safer method as in comparison with radio frequency communications.
“OTV-8’s laser communications demonstration will mark an necessary step within the U.S. Area Pressure’s skill to leverage proliferated area networks as a part of a diversified and redundant area architectures,” mentioned Gen. Likelihood Saltzman, Chief of Area Operations, mentioned. “In so doing, it’ll strengthen the resilience, reliability, adaptability and information transport speeds of our satellite tv for pc communications structure.”
The X-37B may also display the usage of a quantum inertial sensor that can observe the rotation and acceleration of atoms, permitting for unaided navigation. The us goals to be taught extra about navigation in areas the place GPS is both compromised or unavailable.
Officers mentioned this may be useful for each U.S. spacecraft in Earth orbit in addition to out in cislunar area and past.
“OTV 8’s quantum inertial sensor demonstration is a welcome step ahead for operational resilience in area,” mentioned Col. Ramsey Horn, Area Delta 9 commander. “Whether or not navigating past Earth primarily based orbits in cislunar area or working in GPS-denied environments, quantum inertial sensing permits for strong navigation capabilities when GPS navigation will not be attainable.”
It’s unclear how lengthy the X-37B will function in low Earth orbit this time.
