Boeing-Built X-37B Spaceplane Launches, Beginning Eighth Mission

The Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle commenced its eighth mission yesterday, successfully launching at 11:50 p.m. ET aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The vehicle is currently in orbit and undergoing standard operational checks.

Fewer than six months after concluding its seventh mission with a landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on March 7, 2025, the spaceplane has returned to space. This mission features a Boeing integrated service module designed to enhance payload capacity for experimental activities in orbit.

"Our role is to make sure the spaceplane is the most reliable testbed it can be," said Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems. "None of this happens without teamwork. Launch is the starting line for this mission, but the work that follows –the quiet, methodical work on orbit, analysis and eventual return is where progress is earned."

The X-37B is conducting several technology demonstrations from government partners during this mission, including laser communications and a quantum inertial sensor intended to support navigation in the absence of GPS. In its previous mission, the vehicle successfully executed an unprecedented aerobraking manoeuvre to alter its orbit while conserving propellant.

"Having a returnable space platform allows us to learn faster," said Col. Brian Chatman, installation commander for Space Launch Delta 45. "The data we gather from the X-37B speeds decisions, hardens our architectures, and helps Guardians stay connected and on course even in contested environments. This is how we move from promising ideas to fieldable capability at pace."

The X-37B is a collaborative effort between government and industry, spearheaded by the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, with operational oversight provided by the U.S. Space Force. Boeing teams, primarily located in Seal Beach, California, and Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, are responsible for the design, construction, integration, and operation of the reusable spaceplane. Since its inaugural flight in 2010, the orbital test vehicle has completed seven missions, amassing over 4,200 days in space and returning after each mission for inspection and enhancement.