Falcon 9 Lifts Off with Secretive Spaceplane
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the U.S. Space Force’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle into orbit. The liftoff took place just before midnight, marking the eighth mission for the experimental Boeing-built spaceplane since its first operational flight in 2010. The mission, designated USSF-36, is part of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, which SpaceX supports under a multi-mission contract valued at nearly $180 million for this series of launches.
Reusable Booster Success
Approximately eight and a half minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9’s first stage successfully landed at Cape Canaveral’s Landing Zone 2, completing its sixth flight. The booster recovery, accompanied by a sonic boom, underscored SpaceX’s continuing role in lowering launch costs and increasing flight cadence for national security missions. So far in 2025, SpaceX has completed three launches under the NSSL program, including missions for GPS satellites and reconnaissance payloads, with more launches scheduled over the coming year.
X-37B: America’s Secretive Spaceplane
The U.S. military operates two X-37B spaceplanes, designed to test advanced space technologies on extended missions. While much of the spacecraft’s work remains classified, officials revealed that this latest flight will test two critical capabilities: high-bandwidth laser communications and quantum navigation. The laser system will connect with commercial satellite constellations in low Earth orbit, demonstrating faster and more secure data transfer than traditional radio systems. Quantum navigation, meanwhile, could help spacecraft operate independently without relying on GPS signals, which are vulnerable to jamming.
Building Space Superiority
The Space Force emphasized that the X-37B remains its premier platform for experimenting with next-generation systems that enhance U.S. resilience and dominance in space. Officials noted that the ability to leverage proliferated commercial networks through laser communications strengthens both the adaptability and reliability of U.S. satellite infrastructure. The vehicle’s long-duration missions—sometimes exceeding two years in orbit—continue to provide the Pentagon with opportunities to test technology that may become vital for future military and commercial operations in space.