A secretive space plane is set to launch and test quantum navigation technology

The U.S. Space Force’s secretive X-37B space plane is set to launch its eighth mission no earlier than August 21 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center. Built by Boeing, the uncrewed, shuttle‑shaped spacecraft has completed increasingly long missions since its 2010 debut. One of the two active X‑37Bs recently returned from a 434‑day flight, while the other spent a record 908 days in orbit, Ars Technica has reported. The upcoming launch will likely involve the first of the two vehicles.