It was the eighth flight of a X-37B, which was designed for the US Air Force by Boeing. It is set to test laser communications and navigation without the use of GPS.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Thursday night, carrying a classified US military spaceplane into orbit.
It was the eighth flight of an X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. No one was on board the rocket, which launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Space Force not disclosing length of mission
The X-37B, built by Boeing, is an uncrewed and autonomous spacecraft employed by the US military to test technology and conduct experiments in both high and low Earth orbits.
“These operational demonstrations and experiments comprise next-generation technologies, including laser communications and the highest-performing quantum inertial sensor ever tested in space,” the US Space Force said in July.
“Mission 8 will contribute to improving the resilience, efficiency and security of US space-based communications architectures,” it added.
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/space-x-successfully-launches-us-military-spaceplane/a-73729418
