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Another US military mini shuttle launches on a secret mission

The X-37B spacecraft, about 29 feet long with a 14-foot wingspan, will test laser communications and quantum inertial sensors during its latest classified mission, officials said.

  • A U.S. military mini shuttle, the Boeing-built X-37B designated OTV-8, launched from Cape Canaveral on August 21, 2025, for a classified space mission.
  • The launch follows the previous X-37B mission that returned to Earth in March after more than 434 days in orbit, continuing a program begun in 2010.
  • OTV-8 will demonstrate advanced laser communication links between satellites and utilize a quantum-based navigation sensor to support positioning without relying on GPS, aiming to strengthen the robustness of space networks.
  • General Chance Saltzman, head of the Space Operations, indicated that the laser communications demonstration represents a key advancement toward creating more varied and resilient space network architectures.
  • This eighth mission reflects the X-37B's ongoing role in advancing U.S. space capabilities through long-duration technology demonstrations with largely classified payloads.
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Another US military mini shuttle launches on a secret mission

Another U.S. military mini shuttle has blasted off on a secret mission. Launched Thursday by SpaceX, the craft with no one aboard took off from Florida.

·United States
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Liner.hu broke the news in on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.
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