Launch of the secret "X-37B" vehicle on its eighth mission on a "SpaceX" rocket
The secret spacecraft of the U.S. Army, "X-37B", was launched into space on Thursday evening aboard a "Falcon 9" rocket from "SpaceX", as part of its mysterious eighth orbital mission.
The launch took place from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 11:50 PM local time (04:50 UTC on Friday), as the rocket illuminated the sky during its liftoff moments.
The U.S. Space Force announced that the mission, carried out by the unmanned spacecraft, "includes a wide range of objectives for testing and experimentation". In a statement from the force last month, it was mentioned: "These demonstrations and operational tests include next-generation technologies, including laser communications" and "the highest quantum sensor" being tested in space.
The force added that "Mission 8 will contribute to improving the resilience and efficiency of U.S. space communications".
The "X-37B" vehicle, which is about 9 meters long and solar-powered, resembles a miniature version of the crewed space shuttles that were retired in 2011, and is the size of a small bus. The vehicle, also known as the "Orbital Test Vehicle", was designed by Boeing for the U.S. Air Force and has conducted previous missions for NASA.
