The US Space Force has released mock-ups of the next mission of the secret Boeing X-37B military shuttle.
The eighth Boeing X-37B mission, designated USSF-36, is scheduled to launch on August 21, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Key experiments include testing laser communications technology in space and testing a new, state-of-the-art quantum inertial sensor. The partners for these experiments are the Air Force Research Lab and the Defense Innovation Unit, respectively.
Laser communications are an integral part of the future space communications network because the use of such technology increases the amount of data that can be sent in the same amount of time. In addition, laser communications are safer and more secure than traditional radio frequency transmissions. The use of laser communications networks should increase the resiliency of the US space architecture, ensuring that it does not contain a single point of failure.
As for inertial quantum navigation technology, it should provide GPS-independent navigation of spacecraft by detecting the rotation and acceleration of individual atoms. Quantum navigation should increase the navigational stability of US spacecraft in the face of current and future threats (read: GPS signal jamming by the Russian Federation and/or the People's Republic of China). Quantum inertial sensors will also be useful for navigation in the lunar space and near other planets, where the GPS signal is completely absent for obvious reasons.
Previously, the US Space Force and the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, which manages the Boeing X-37B missions, were tight-lipped about the mission of the aircraft and each of its launches. This changed with the advent of the second Trump administration. On February 21, 2025, the US Space Force even released a photo of the Earth taken from the Boeing X-37B in January 2024.
Let us remind you that two large articles were published on our website about the next generation of space shuttles, about the Boeing X-37 and its clones, and about the Dream Chaser and other projects.