X-37B is a secret military space plane. Pictures show what it looks like before, after launch
Aside from the "ooh, ahh" factor of a launch virtually morning, noon or night − with a few that happen during typical bedtime hours − the rocket launches have specific missions for SpaceX, NASA and United Launch Alliance.
Occasionally, there's a "secretive" mission from the U.S. Space Force.
The military space plane, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, is poised to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral no earlier than 11:40 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. SpaceX and the Space Force haven't revealed an exact launch time, but a Federal Aviation Administration advisory suggests the launch window runs until 5:11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 22.
Everything to know about X-37B: What's on board the secret Space Force space plane?
Should it be needed, an additional launch window is listed as opening midnight Saturday, Aug. 23.
What is the X-37B? How does Space Force secretive military plane launch into space?
Built by Boeing, the X-37B military space plane resembles a mini space shuttle and has previously gotten a ride to space in a ULA Atlas V rocket and SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral. The X-37B also has launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California.
How does it get to space? Nestled in the "top" of the rockets, the photo below shows how the uncrewed space plane gets a lift into orbit. Keep scrolling for an explanation on the scientific maneuver.
Is there a launch today? Upcoming NASA, SpaceX, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral
Photos of X-37B, Space Force's secretive military space plane
Does the Space Force X-37B secret military plane carry humans? What's on board X-37B?
The X-37B does not carry humans – only Space Force experiments aimed at pushing American space technology.
The uncrewed X-37B resembles a NASA space shuttle, but it's launched differently. Instead of being mounted onto boosters like the space shuttle, the X-37B is launched as a payload atop a rocket, encased inside protective fairing covers (see photos above).
Those fairing covers are shed after liftoff, and the X-37B orbits around the Earth like a mini space shuttle. According to Boeing, the X-37B is about one-fourth the size of the space shuttle.
Upon returning to Earth, the X-37B glides onto a runway for a landing similar to a regular aircraft rather than a splashdown.
Having it glide onto the runway allows the spacecraft to be ready for flight much sooner than if it were to splashdown. Boeing's website states that the autonomous re-entry capability of the X-37B allows for not just a smooth returns to Earth, but a fast refurbishment and turn-around time for its next flight.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Photos of US Space Force X-37B, the secretive military space plane
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CNN
2 minutes ago
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Astronomers found a tiny moon orbiting Uranus. There are likely more waiting to be spotted
Astronomers using the powerful eye of the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted a previously unknown moon whirling around Uranus, according to NASA. The discovery boosts the number of moons known to be orbiting the ice giant to 29 — and there are likely more waiting to be found. The moon came to light through a series of 40-minute long-exposure images taken by Webb's Near-Infrared Camera on February 2. 'It's a small moon but a significant discovery, which is something that even NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft didn't see during its flyby nearly 40 years ago,' said Maryame El Moutamid, a lead scientist in the Southwest Research Institute's Solar System Science and Exploration Division in Boulder, Colorado, in a statement. El Moutamid is the principal investigator of a Webb program dedicated to analyzing the structure and dynamics of the typically hidden rings and inner moons of Uranus. The glow of Uranus' rings and the moon's tiny size, measuring about 6 miles (10 kilometers) in diameter, are likely what obscured it from the view of Voyager 2, the only mission that has performed flybys of Uranus and Neptune, as well as telescopes such as Hubble that have observed the solar system's outer planets. It's possible that the moon and some of the material comprising Uranus' rings have a common origin, which could mean the rings and moon are fragments resulting from the same ancient event, El Moutamid said. The moon, temporarily named S/2025 U1, could reveal how Uranus' rings are shaped, whether by gravity or an ancient event, to provide a window into the enigmatic rings' structure, stability and history, she said. 'The discovery raises questions about how many more small moons remain hidden around Uranus and how they interact with its rings,' El Moutamid said. The discovery of moons around planets in our solar system is not a very common occurrence, but it does happen from time around giant planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. 'These planets have many moons, and some are so tiny and faint that we're still discovering them,' El Moutamid said. The newly found moon is the 14th in a system of small moons orbiting Uranus — all of which orbit closer to the planet than its largest moons: Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon. 'It's located about 35,000 miles (56,000 kilometers) from Uranus' center, orbiting the planet's equatorial plane between the orbits of Ophelia (which is just outside of Uranus' main ring system) and Bianca,' El Moutamid said, referring to two other small moons circling the planet. 'Its nearly circular orbit suggests it may have formed near its current location.' Spotting the moon was no easy task because it is tiny, dark and moves quickly, which made it nearly invisible against the background glow of Uranus' rings, El Moutamid said. The high resolution and sensitivity of Webb's Near-Infrared Camera was perfectly suited to find a faint, distant object, she said. Webb's ability to capture infrared light, invisible to the human eye, has also provided glimpses of Uranus' rings and moons, atmosphere and weather during earlier observations. 'Its detection highlights both the dynamic complexity of Uranus's system and the sharp eyes of modern astronomy.' So far, all of Uranus' moons have been named for characters from the works of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope. The previously unknown moon doesn't have a literary name yet, and the International Astronomical Union, which assigns official names to celestial objects, will need to approve one. 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USA Today
30 minutes ago
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Could Starship help humanity establish a city on Mars? Inside SpaceX, Elon Musk's plan
Starship, which SpaceX has launched on nine flight tests from Starbase in South Texas, is the centerpiece of Elon Musk's plan to establish a city on Mars in a matter of years. The idea that humans could one day populate and even colonize Mars is one no longer confined to the realm of science fiction. Astronauts are on the cusp in the years ahead of journeying all the way to the Red Planet, where so far only rovers and orbiters have dared to venture. And when they do, it's likely they'll make landfall aboard a SpaceX Starship. Billionaire Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with the vision of paving the way to create a self-sustaining colony on the Red Planet. By April 2023, the company rolled out its massive Starship – the rocket/spacecraft combo designed to reach Mars – to its South Texas launch pad for what would be its first of nine flight tests to date. 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CNBC
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The market's sharp rotation may be winding down — plus, Meta hits pause on AI hiring
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